Star 88.3 workers take over station

FORT WAYNE, Ind. (WANE) - A local radio station is owned by several of its employees now.
 

Monday, Star 88.3 began ownership under STAR Educational Media Network.

A group of workers at the station formed the not-for-profit entity when the station was put up for sale a few months ago by its former owner, the Indiana District-Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, which had owned the station for 23 years.

The employees didn't want someone else to buy their station and change the format.

The group officially signed the papers to take over ownership Friday.

It's thankful it gets to keep the station running as a contemporary Christian music outlet.

"What's going to happen is [the station is] just going to be able to be more effective. We're going to be able to grow in areas that we'd hope to grow before that we weren't able to accomplish. Now we can because we can have our own goals and our own dreams and move forward with that," said Star 88.3 President and CEO Melissa Montana, alluding to the fact that decisions about the station's future will no longer ultimately be subject to the scrutiny of the Indiana District-Lutheran Church Missouri Synod.