[DEF 14A] SAGA COMMUNICATIONS INC Definitive Proxy Statement
Saga Communications is asking shareholders to vote at its fully virtual 2026 annual meeting on June 1, 2026. Shareholders will elect seven directors, ratify Crowe LLP as independent auditor for 2026, and cast an advisory vote on named executive officer pay.
The board remains majority independent and has formal committees for audit, compensation, nominating/governance, and a Cybersecurity Subcommittee formed in 2023. As of April 6, 2026, 6,363,968 Class A shares were outstanding, with TowerView LLC and the Edward K. Christian Trust among the largest holders.
In 2025, the CEO earned total compensation of $1.43 million, primarily salary, bonus, and restricted stock, while other named executives received mix of salary, smaller bonuses, and equity. Non‑employee directors received annual cash retainers of $72,000 plus stock awards of about $53,000, and Crowe LLP billed $470,500 in 2025 audit and related fees.
Positive
- None.
Negative
- None.
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☐ | Preliminary Proxy Statement |
☐ | Confidential, for Use of the Commission Only (as permitted by Rule 14a-6(e)(2)) |
☒ | Definitive Proxy Statement |
☐ | Definitive Additional Materials |
☐ | Soliciting Material under § 240.14a-12 |
(Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter) |
(Name of Person(s) Filing Proxy Statement, if other than the Registrant) |
☒ | No fee required. |
☐ | Fee paid previously with preliminary materials. |
☐ | Fee computed on table in exhibit required by Item 25(b) per Exchange Act Rules 14a6(i)(1) and 0-11 |
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(1) | To elect the seven director nominees named in this proxy statement to serve until the Company’s 2027 Annual Meeting of Shareholders or until their respective successors are elected and qualified; |
(2) | To ratify the appointment of Crowe LLP as our independent registered public accounting firm for our fiscal year ending December 31, 2026; |
(3) | To approve by a non-binding vote on the compensation of the Company’s named executive officers (the “Say On Pay” vote) as described herein; and |
(4) | To transact any other business properly coming before the Annual Meeting and any adjournments or postponements thereof. |
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INTRODUCTION | 1 | ||
PROPOSAL 1 — ELECTION OF DIRECTORS | 3 | ||
CORPORATE GOVERNANCE | 7 | ||
FINANCE AND AUDIT COMMITTEE REPORT | 14 | ||
COMPENSATION OF NON-EMPLOYEE DIRECTORS | 15 | ||
SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT | 16 | ||
CERTAIN BUSINESS RELATIONSHIPS AND TRANSACTIONS WITH DIRECTORS AND MANAGEMENT | 18 | ||
PROPOSAL 2 — TO RATIFY APPOINTMENT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM | 19 | ||
COMPENSATION OVERVIEW | 21 | ||
COMPENSATION OF EXECUTIVE OFFICERS | 26 | ||
PAY VERSUS PERFORMANCE | 31 | ||
PROPOSAL 3 — ADVISORY VOTE TO APPROVE NAMED EXECUTIVE OFFICER COMPENSATION | 33 | ||
DELINQUENT SECTION 16(a) REPORTS | 34 | ||
OTHER MATTERS | 35 | ||
SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS AND DIRECTOR NOMINATIONS FOR ANNUAL MEETINGS | 36 | ||
EXPENSE OF SOLICITING PROXIES | 37 | ||
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Name and Age | Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years | Director Since | ||||
Clarke R. Brown, Jr., 85 | Formerly served as president of Jefferson-Pilot Communications Company (“JPCC”) from 1991 to June 2005. During Mr. Brown’s tenure at JPCC, JPCC owned and operated television and radio stations located in the United States, as well as a sports production and syndication business. Under his supervision, the radio division grew from five stations to eighteen stations. JPCC was a subsidiary of Jefferson-Pilot Corporation, a then-publicly traded holding company which was acquired by Lincoln National Corporation in April 2006. Mr. Brown received his Bachelor of Journalism from the University of Missouri and Bachelor of Law from the Atlanta Law School. Mr. Brown served as a board member for the National Association of Broadcasters (“NAB”) Board and the Associated Press Advisory Board. Mr. Brown was recognized as the National Radio Executive of the Year in 2004 by the NAB and received the Broadcast Cable Financial Management Association (now the Media Financial Management Association) Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. We believe that Mr. Brown’s qualifications to sit on our Board include his more than 39 years in the broadcast industry, including 14 years as president of the radio division of a then-public company. | July 2004 | ||||
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Name and Age | Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years | Director Since | ||||
Roy F. Coppedge III, 77 | Formerly Senior Advisor, BV Investment Partners (formerly Boston Ventures Management) from 2012 to 2017. From 1983 to 2012, Mr. Coppedge was Managing Director of BV Investment Partners, a founder and a Managing Director of Boston Venture Management, Inc. and a founder and general partner of Boston Ventures Partners. Mr. Coppedge is a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School. During Mr. Coppedge’s career at Boston Ventures, he was a board member of fifteen media related companies including three profitable broadcast companies with radio stations (Duffy Broadcasting, Backyard Broadcasting and River City Broadcasting). Additionally, during Mr. Coppedge’s career at Boston Ventures, he helped raise seven limited partnership investment funds totaling more than $2 billion. We believe that Mr. Coppedge’s qualifications to sit on our Board include his more than 25 years in the private equity investment industry, primarily at a firm that has made investments in 78 private companies that have operated in the specific industries: media, communications, broadcasting, entertainment, and information and business services. | June 2013 | ||||
Christopher S. Forgy, 65 | President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of Saga Communications, Inc. since December 7, 2022. Mr. Forgy joined the Company in 1995 and has been with Saga for more than twenty years. He initially served as Director of Sales for the Company’s radio stations in Columbus, Ohio until 2006 when he left Saga to serve as general manager of radio clusters of other broadcast companies until 2011. In 2011, Mr. Forgy rejoined Saga as President and General Manager of our Columbus, Ohio market where he served until being promoted to Senior Vice President of Operations in May 2018. Thereafter, he was appointed to President, Chief Executive Officer, and Director of the Company effective as of December 7, 2022. We believe that Mr. Forgy’s qualifications to sit on our Board include his more than 25 years of professional service in the broadcast industry, including his more than 20 of service as an employee of the Company, more than five years as our Senior Vice President of Operations, and current tenure as President & CEO of the Company. | December 2022 | ||||
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Name and Age | Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years | Director Since | ||||
Warren S. Lada, 71 | Since December, 2022 Mr. Lada has presided as Chairman of the Board for the Company. Mr. Lada served as Chief Operating Officer of the Company from March 2016 to June 30, 2018 and also served as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company from August 22, 2022 to December 7, 2022. Mr. Lada graduated with a bachelor degree from University of Wisconsin in Communication Arts. He began his broadcast career in 1976 and served in various executive capacities for several broadcast companies before joining our Company in 1991. He began with Saga as VP/General Manager in Springfield, MA and also as a Regional Vice President for Saga Communications of New England. Thereafter, Mr. Lada held several executive corporate management positions with the Company. Lada also served on the Executive Board of Directors for the Radio Advertising Bureau and served on the Board of the Radio Music License Committee. We believe that Mr. Lada’s qualifications to sit on our Board include his extensive experience of more than 44 years in the broadcast industry. | May 2018 | ||||
Michael Scafidi, 50 | Mr. Scafidi is a seasoned executive with extensive experience in digital transformation, marketing technology, and business growth. Mr. Scafidi has held leadership roles at Digitas North America/Publicis, PepsiCo, and Razorfish. As EVP & CTO at Digitas from 2021 to 2022, Mr. Scafidi led a technology transformation that successfully transitioned a marketing product into a profitable asset within a year, as well as fueled growth and profitability with $60 million in billed revenue. Prior to that, at PepsiCo from 2012 to 2021, Mr. Scafidi spearheaded a data-driven marketing overhaul for a $500 million media budget, boosting sales by 84% and digital return on investment by 11% while establishing direct B2C connections with 20% of the US population. At Razorfish, he developed impactful digital solutions for global brands, including Ford, JPMorgan, Pernod Ricard, and New York Life. Currently, Mr. Scafidi is a principal partner at Growth Drivers, a consultancy that concentrates on modernizing marketing strategies for nonprofit organizations to accelerate adoption of digital fundraising, data maturity, and paid media. At Growth Drivers, Mr. Scafidi has revamped nonprofit organizations’ marketing strategies, achieving a 70% reduction in cost per acquisition. Mr. Scafidi has been recognized among The Drum’s Top 100 Digirati and Brand Innovators’ 40 Under 40. He holds a B.S. from the University of Rochester. We believe that Mr. Scafidi’s expertise in digital strategy and technology-driven growth, including driving innovation and efficiency across global organizations, is and will continue to be a valuable asset to the Board. | May 2025 | ||||
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Name and Age | Principal Occupation During the Past Five Years | Director Since | ||||
Michael W. Schechter, 61 | Mr. Schechter has been a partner at TowerView LLC and its predecessor since 1991. At TowerView LLC he has been involved in human capital management and head of technology and cyber security. He is currently leading the evaluation and rollout of artificial intelligence for the firm. Prior to that he was an analyst at Donaldson Lufkin & Jenrette. Mr. Schechter also serves as a board member of Emmis Corporation since August 2021. We believe Mr. Schechter’s qualifications to sit on the Board include his more than 35 years in the investment industry, which includes investing in the media space and his experience in public market securities, capital allocation, and risk management, as well as his experience serving as a director of the Company for the past three years. | May 2023 | ||||
Gregory D. Sutherland, 66 | Since September 2025, Mr. Sutherland has served as the chair of the advisory board of G2M Insights, an artificial intelligence based software and services company. Prior to joining G2M Insights, Mr. Sutherland served on the board of directors of Buckman Laboratories from April 2020 to July 2025, a supplier of chemical solutions and digital innovations that help improve productivity and sustainability for customers in over 90 countries. Mr. Sutherland has served as an advisor for Nisum Technologies, an e-commerce technology consultancy, and was a Senior Partner at Ernst & Young LLP, a global professional services firm, where he served as the Strategy Consulting Practice Leaser, Global and Americas. Mr. Sutherland holds an MBA from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and earned the NACD Director Certification through the National Association of Corporate Directors. We believe Mr. Sutherland’s qualifications to sit on the Board include his extensive financial acumen and board experience. | October 2025 | ||||
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• | director qualification and independence standards; |
• | the duties and responsibilities of the Board and management; |
• | regular meetings of the independent directors in executive sessions, the Board, and the committees of the Board; |
• | the size of the Board and how persons are nominated by the Board for election as directors; |
• | limitations on each Board member’s service on boards of other public companies; |
• | the principles for determining director compensation; |
• | the organization and basic function of Board committees; |
• | reporting concerns about the Company’s conduct or about the Company’s accounting, internal accounting controls or auditing matters; |
• | the annual compensation review of the CEO and other executive officers; |
• | the Board’s compensation; |
• | the Board’s responsibility for maintaining a management succession plan; |
• | director access to senior management and the ability of the Board and its committees to engage independent advisors; |
• | director orientation and continuing training; and |
• | the annual evaluation of the performance of the Board and its committees. |
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• | managing the functioning of the Board and its committees with input from the entire Board; |
• | developing the agenda and presiding over meetings of the Board and executive sessions of the independent directors; |
• | overseeing and managing potential conflict of interest issues; |
• | facilitating discussion among the independent directors on issues and concerns outside of Board meetings; and |
• | serving as a liaison with the Company’s management for purposes of communication. |
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• | Met to review and discuss our audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2025 with our management and our independent auditors; |
• | Discussed with the independent auditors the matters required to be discussed by Statement on Auditing Standards No. 61, as amended (AICPA, Professional Standards, Vol. 1. AU Section 380), as adopted by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board in Rule 3200T; and |
• | Received the written disclosures and the letter from the independent auditors required by the applicable requirements of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board regarding the independent auditors’ communications with the Finance and Audit Committee concerning independence and discussed the independent auditors’ independence with them. |
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Name(1) | Fees Earned or Paid in Cash ($) | Stock Awards ($)(2) | All Other Compensation ($)(3) | Total ($) | ||||||||
Clarke R. Brown, Jr(4) | $82,000 | $52,996 | $6,485 | $141,481 | ||||||||
Timothy J. Clarke(5)(6) | $82,000 | $52,996 | $6,547 | $141,543 | ||||||||
Roy F. Coppedge III(7) | $82,000 | $52,996 | $6,485 | $141,481 | ||||||||
Warren S. Lada(8) | $82,000 | $52,996 | $6,500 | $141,496 | ||||||||
Marcia K. Lobaito(9) | $24,330 | $— | $1,645 | $25,975 | ||||||||
Michael Scafidi(10) | $47,670 | $35,283 | $— | $82,953 | ||||||||
Michael W. Schechter(11) | $82,000 | $52,996 | $5,479 | $140,475 | ||||||||
Gregory Sutherland(12) | $18,000 | $13,255 | $— | $31,255 | ||||||||
(1) | The compensation of our current Chief Executive Officer, Christopher S. Forgy, has been omitted from this table. The compensation is included in the Summary Compensation Table. |
(2) | All stock awards comprise grants of Class A Common Restricted Stock which vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2026, and 2027, and 2028, if the reporting person is a director on the applicable date. Stock award values are calculated based on the closing price of our Class A Common Stock on the NASDAQ on December 10, 2025 ($11.92 per share). The grant date fair values are computed in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) Topic No. 718, Compensation-Stock Compensation. As of December 31, 2025, the following directors held the following number of unvested restricted stock awards: Mr. Brown, 8,290; Mr. Clarke, 8,290; Mr. Coppedge, 8,290; Mr. Lada, 8,290; Mr. Scafidi, 2,960, Mr. Schechter, 7,930, and Mr. Sutherland, 1,112. All such restricted stock, however, shall vest if the reporting person is a director upon the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control. Effective November 30, 2023, Ms. Lobaito retired from her position as Corporate Secretary, and effective May 2025 she was no longer a director of the Company. |
(3) | With respect to Ms. Lobaito, includes dividends paid on unvested restricted stock but does not include $64,118 of non-qualified deferred income distributions paid to Ms. Lobaito during the fiscal year for her services as an officer of the Company. With respect to Messrs. Brown, Clarke, Coppedge, Lada, and Schechter, includes dividends paid on unvested restricted stock. |
(4) | Chairman of Compensation Committee. |
(5) | Chairman of Finance and Audit Committee. |
(6) | Mr. Clarke is not standing for re-election at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. |
(7) | Chairman of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee. |
(8) | Chairman of the Board. |
(9) | Ms. Lobaito served on our Board of Directors until May 2025. |
(10) | Mr. Scafidi joined our Board of Directors in May 2025. |
(11) | Chairman of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee of the Finance and Audit Committee. |
(12) | Mr. Sutherland joined our Board of Directors in October 2025. |
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Name | Number of Shares Class A | Percentage of Class A | ||||
Clarke R. Brown, Jr. | 19,272(1)(4) | * | ||||
Samuel D. Bush6 | 69,664(1)(2) | 1.1% | ||||
Timothy J. Clarke7 | 17,503(1)(3) | * | ||||
Roy F. Coppedge III | 17,266(1) | * | ||||
Christopher S. Forgy | 110,046(1)(2) | 1.7% | ||||
Warren S. Lada8 | 34,817(1)(4) | * | ||||
Wayne Leland | 31,712(1)(2) | * | ||||
Michael Scafidi | 2,960(1) | * | ||||
Michael W. Schechter | 1,171,574(1)(5) | 18.4% | ||||
Gregory Sutherland | 1,112(1) | * | ||||
All directors, nominees and executive officers as a group (10 persons) | 1,475,926(6) | 23.2% | ||||
TowerView LLC | 1,161,144(7) | 18.2% | ||||
Edward K. Christian Trust et. al. | 881,044(8) | 13.8% | ||||
Gate City Capital Management, LLC et. al. | 863,845(9) | 13.6% | ||||
Stanley Kesselman | 391,355(10) | 6.1% | ||||
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP | 346,461(11) | 5.4% | ||||
* | Less than 1% |
(1) | Includes the following grants of Class A Common Restricted Stock awarded on December 7, 2023 (without any reduction for sales of such restricted stock) which vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2024, 2025, and 2026, unless reporting person is no longer an employee or director, respectively, on the applicable date (if, however, the reporting person is an employee or director, respectively, on the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control, all restricted stock shall vest): Mr. Brown, 2,597 shares; Mr. Bush, 12,519 shares; Mr. Clarke, 2,597 shares; Mr. Coppedge, 2,597, Mr. Forgy, 36,110 shares; Mr. Lada, 2,597 shares; Mr. Leland, 7,350 shares; and Mr. Schechter, 1,515 shares. Also includes the following grants of Class A Common Restricted Stock awarded on December 5, 2024 (without any reduction for sales of such restricted stock) which vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2025, 2026, and 2027, unless reporting person is no longer an employee or director, respectively, on the applicable date (if, however, the reporting person is an employee or director, respectively, on the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control, all restricted stock shall vest): Mr. Brown, 4,469 shares; Mr. Bush, 13,828 shares; Mr. Clarke, 4,469 shares; Mr. Coppedge, 4,469, Mr. Forgy, 44,077 shares; Mr. Lada, 4,469 shares; Mr. Leland, 10,793 shares; and Mr. Schechter, 4,469 shares. Also includes the following grants of Class A Common Restricted Stock awarded on December 10, 2025 (without any reduction for sales of such restricted stock) which vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2026, 2027, and 2028, unless reporting person is no longer an employee or director, respectively, on the applicable date (if, however, the reporting person is an employee or director, respectively, on the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control, all restricted stock shall vest): Mr. Brown, 4,446 shares; Mr. Bush, 10,319 shares; Mr. Clarke, 4,446 shares; Mr. Coppedge, 4,446, Mr. Forgy, 30,412 shares; Mr. Lada, 4,446 shares; Mr. Leland, 8,054 shares; Mr. Scafidi, 2,960 shares; Mr. Schechter, 4,469 shares; and Mr. Sutherland, 1,112 shares. |
(2) | Includes shares owned indirectly through the Company’s 401(k) Plan as follows: Mr. Bush, 2,745 shares; Mr. Forgy, 888 shares; and Mr. Leland, 1,702 shares. |
(3) | Mr. Clarke is not standing for re-election at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. |
(4) | Includes 1,780 shares of Class A Common Stock with shared voting or dispositive power for Mr. Lada, and 543 shares of Class A Common Stock Mr. Clarke has voting and dispositive power over in his capacity as a trustee. |
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(5) | Includes 1,161,144 shares owned by TowerView LLC. Mr. Schechter, as a member of TowerView LLC, may be deemed to have beneficial ownership with respect to the 1,161,144 shares owned by TowerView LLC, however, Mr. Schechter disclaims beneficial ownership of the shares owned by TowerView LLC. |
(6) | Includes an aggregate grant of 67,882 shares of Class A Common Restricted Stock which vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2024, 2025, and 2026, unless reporting person is no longer an employee or director, respectively, on the applicable date (if, however, the reporting person is an employee or director, respectively, on the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control, all restricted stock shall vest); an aggregate grant of 91,043 shares of Class A Common Restricted Stock which vests in one-third increments on December 15, 2025, 2026, and 2027, unless reporting person is no longer an employee or director, respectively, on the applicable date (if, however, the reporting person is an employee or director, respectively, upon the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control, all restricted stock shall vest); and an aggregate grant of 75,087 shares of Class A Common Restricted Stock which vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2025, 2026, and 2027, unless reporting person is no longer an employee or director, respectively, on the applicable date (if, however, the reporting person is an employee or director, respectively, on the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control, all restricted stock shall vest). In addition, includes 5,335 shares owned indirectly through the Company’s 401(k) Plan. Also, includes 1,780 shares of Class A Common Stock with shared voting or dispositive power, and 543 shares of Class A Common Stock with voting and dispositive power over as a trustee. |
(7) | According to its Schedule 13D/A filed with the SEC on April 7, 2023, TowerView LLC, a Delaware limited liability company controlled by Daniel R. Tisch, its general member, has sole voting and dispositive power with respect to 1,161,144 shares. The principal address of TowerView LLC is 460 Park Avenue, New York, New York, 10022. |
(8) | According to their most recent joint Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 17, 2026, the Edward K. Christian Trust reported sole voting and dispositive power with respect to 886,709 shares, meanwhile, co-trustee Michael L. Dallaire has shared and dispositive power with respect to 886,709 shares, and co-trustee Judith A Christian has shared voting and dispositive power with respect to 886,709 shares, and sole voting and dispositive power with respect to 3,541 shares held by the Judith A. Christian IRA. On February 27, 2026, the Edward K. Christian Trust filed a Form 4 with the SEC reporting the disposition of 5,665 shares of Class A Common Stock on February 25, 2026. Their principal address is 500 Woodward Avenue, Suite 4000, Detroit, Michigan 48226. |
(9) | According to their most recent joint Schedule 13D filed with the SEC on March 26, 2025, Gate City Capital Management, LLC, an Illinois limited liability company that serves as an investment adviser to certain private investment funds and managed accounts, and Michael Melby, the managing member of Gate City Capital Management, LLC, each have sole voting and dispositive power with respect 863,845 shares. The principal address of Gate City Capital Management, LLC and Mr. Melby is 8725 W. Higgins Road, Suite 530, Chicago, IL 60631. |
(10) | According to his most recent Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on January 7, 2026, Stanley Kesselman is an individual with sole voting and dispositive power with respect to 391,355 shares. Mr. Kesselman’s principal address is c/o Maxim Group, 300 Park Ave, 16th Floor, New York, NY 10022. |
(11) | According to its most recent Schedule 13G/A filed with the SEC on February 9, 2024, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP (“Dimensional”) is an investment adviser to four investment companies and to certain other commingled funds, group trusts and separate accounts (collectively, the “Funds”), and in certain cases, subsidiaries of Dimensional may act as an adviser or sub-adviser to certain Funds. Dimensional and its subsidiaries may be deemed to be the beneficial owner of shares owned by the Funds, however, all reported securities are owned by the Funds and Dimensional disclaims beneficial ownership of such shares. The principal address of Dimensional is 6300 Bee Cave Road, Building One, Austin, TX 78746. |
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Fee Category | 2025 Fees | 2024 Fees | ||||
Audit Fees | $430,500 | $356,250 | ||||
Audit-related fees | $40,000 | $100,000 | ||||
Tax Fees | $— | $— | ||||
All other Fees | $— | $— | ||||
Total Fees | $470,500 | $456,250 | ||||
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Fee Category | 2024 Fees | ||
Audit Fees | $108,188 | ||
Audit-related fees | $20,000 | ||
Tax Fees | $48,285 | ||
All other Fees | $— | ||
Total Fees | $176,473 | ||
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Year 1 | December 7, 2022 through December 6, 2023 | $670,000 | ||||
Year 2 | December 7, 2023 through December 6, 2024 | $697,000 | ||||
Year 3 | December 7, 2024 through December 6, 2025 | $725,000 | ||||
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(a) | (b) | (c) | |||||||
Plan Category | Number of Shares to be Issued Upon Exercise of Outstanding Options Warrants, and Rights | Weighted- Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options, Warrants and Rights | Number of Securities Remaining Available for Future Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans (Excluding Column (a)) | ||||||
Equity Compensation Plans Approved by Shareholders: | |||||||||
Employees’ 401(k) Savings and Investment Plan | — | $— | 520,665 | ||||||
2005 Incentive Compensation Plan | — | $—(2) | — | ||||||
2023 Incentive Compensation Plan | 278,673 | $—(2) | 163,450 | ||||||
Equity Compensation Plans Not Approved by Shareholders: None | — | — | |||||||
Total: | 278,673(1) | 684,115 |
(1) | All 278,673 shares are restricted stock. |
(2) | Weighted-Average Exercise Price of Outstanding Options is $0.00 as they are all restricted stock. |
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Name and Principal Positions | Year | Salary(1)$ | Bonus(2)$ | Stock Awards(3) | Option Awards(4) | Non- Equity Incentive Plan Comp | All other Comp(5) | Total Comp $ | ||||||||||||||||
Christopher S. Forgy President and Chief Executive Officer | 2025 | $726,616 | $215,000 | $362,511 | $— | $— | $128,914 | $1,433,041 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | $698,616 | $243,950 | $522,753 | $— | $— | $190,951 | $1,656,270 | |||||||||||||||||
Samuel D. Bush Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer | 2025 | $410,000 | $25,000 | $123,002 | $— | $— | $60,914 | $618,916 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | $410,000 | $50,000 | $164,000 | $— | $— | $109,191 | $733,191 | |||||||||||||||||
Wayne Leland Chief Operating Officer | 2025 | $320,000 | $20,000 | $96,004 | $— | $— | $24,844 | $460,848 | ||||||||||||||||
2024 | $320,000 | $35,000 | $128,005 | $— | $— | $39,379 | $522,384 | |||||||||||||||||
(1) | Includes amounts deferred under the Company’s 401(k) Plan and the 2005 deferred compensation plan. |
(2) | For fiscal year 2025, upon approval of the Compensation Committee, a discretionary bonus of $215,000 was awarded to Mr. Forgy as outlined in his employment agreement. In addition, bonuses in the amount of $25,000 and $20,000 for Mr. Bush and Mr. Leland, respectively, were approved by the Compensation Committee upon the recommendation of Mr. Forgy. For fiscal year 2024, upon the recommendation of the Compensation Committee, a discretionary bonus of $243,950 was awarded by the Board to Mr. Forgy as outlined in his employment agreement. In addition, bonuses in the amount of $50,000 and $35,000 for Mr. Bush and Mr. Leland, respectively, were approved by the Compensation Committee upon recommendation of Mr. Forgy. |
(3) | Includes the value of restricted stock awarded on December 10, 2025 and December 5, 2024 to Messrs. Forgy and Bush and Leland in their capacity as officers. See “Long Term Incentives” under “Compensation Overview” above. Refer to Note 7, “Stock-Based Compensation” in the Notes to our Consolidated Financial Statements included in our Annual Report to the SEC on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, for the relevant assumptions used to determine the valuation of the stock awards. |
(4) | No options were awarded in 2025 or 2024. |
(5) | In 2025 and 2024, Mr. Forgy received perquisites, including personal use of the Company provided automobile, housing accommodations, medical expense reimbursements and country club dues. In 2025 and 2024, Mr. Bush received perquisites for automobile allowance, housing accommodations and medical expense reimbursements. Mr. Leland received perquisites for medical reimbursements and housing accommodations in 2025 and 2024. Perquisites are valued based on the aggregate incremental costs to the Company. In addition, in 2025 the Company paid an initial life insurance (including split dollar) premiums for Mr. Forgy in the amount of $27,000, which will be $10,000 on an annual basis going forward. In addition, in 2025 and 2024, the Company paid life insurance (including split dollar) premiums for Mr. Bush in the amount of $10,000. Under the 401(k) Plan, all matching funds in the amount of $1,200 and $1,200, respectively, were used to purchase 103 and 99 shares of Class A Common Stock in 2025 and 2024, respectively, for Mr. Forgy, Mr. Bush and Mr. Leland. Under the Second Restated and Amended 2005 Incentive Compensation Plan and the 2023 Incentive Compensation Plan, dividends paid on unvested restricted stock were $69,785 and $150,973 for Mr. Forgy, $23,982 and $68,907 for Mr. Bush and $16,346 and $33,726 for Mr. Leland in 2025 and 2024, respectively. |
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Option Awards | Stock Award(1) | |||||||||||||||||
Name and Principal Positions | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Exercisable | Number of Securities Underlying Unexercised Options (#) Unexercisable | Option Exercise Price ($) | Option Expiration Date | Number of Shares or Units of Stock That Have Not Vested (#) | Market Value of Shares or Units of Stock That Have not Vested ($)(2) | ||||||||||||
Christopher S. Forgy | ||||||||||||||||||
12/10/2025 | — | — | — | — | 30,412 | $348,211 | ||||||||||||
12/05/2024 | — | — | — | — | 29,384 | $336,441 | ||||||||||||
12/07/2023 | — | — | — | — | 12,036 | $137,810 | ||||||||||||
Samuel D. Bush | ||||||||||||||||||
12/10/2025 | — | — | — | — | 10,319 | $118,150 | ||||||||||||
12/05/2024 | — | — | — | — | 9,218 | $105,544 | ||||||||||||
12/07/2023 | — | — | — | — | 4,173 | $47,780 | ||||||||||||
Wayne P. Leland | ||||||||||||||||||
12/10/2025 | — | — | — | — | 8,054 | $92,217 | ||||||||||||
12/05/2024 | — | — | — | — | 7,195 | $82,381 | ||||||||||||
12/07/2023 | — | — | — | — | 2,450 | $28,052 | ||||||||||||
(1) | Restricted stock awarded on December 10, 2025 vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2026, 2027 and 2028. Restricted stock awarded on December 5, 2024 vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2025, 2026 and 2027. Restricted stock awarded on December 7, 2023 vest in one-third increments on December 15, 2024, 2025 and 2026. All such restricted stock, however, shall vest if the recipient is an employee or director on the occurrence or deemed occurrence of a change-in-control. All restricted stock awards comprise Class A Common Stock. |
(2) | Based on $11.4498 per share, which was the closing price of our Class A Common Stock on the NASDAQ on December 31, 2025 (the last business day of the fiscal year). |
Year 1 | December 7, 2022 through December 6, 2023 | $670,000 | ||||
Year 2 | December 7, 2023 through December 6, 2024 | $697,000 | ||||
Year 3 | December 7, 2024 through December 6, 2025 | $725,000 | ||||
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• | The accrued amounts; |
• | Continuation of his base salary for the longer of 18 months or the remainder of the three year initial term or the two-year renewal term, as applicable; |
• | Any awarded but unpaid annual bonus with respect to any completed fiscal year preceding the termination date; |
• | Immediate and full vesting of any unvested shares of restricted stock then held by Mr. Forgy; and |
• | Payment or reimbursement of COBRA premiums for Mr. Forgy and his spouse until the earliest of (i) 18 months from the termination date; (ii) the date Mr. Forgy is no longer eligible for COBRA coverage; or (iii) the date he is eligible for substantially similar coverage from another employer or other source. |
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• | A base salary of $300,000 per year, payable bi-weekly in accordance with Saga’s current payroll policy; |
• | Eligibility for an annual discretionary bonus of up to $35,000 as determined by the Company’s Compensation Committee based on the Company’s performance; |
• | Participation, subject to Board of Director approval and direction, in the Company’s 2023 Incentive Compensation plan for awarding restricted stock; |
• | Participation in the Company’s health, medical reimbursement, life, 401K, and disability plans; |
• | Participation in the Company’s Non-Qualified Deferred Compensation Plan upon meeting eligibility requirements; |
• | Reimbursement for reasonable and customary business expenses in accordance with Saga’s reimbursement policy; and |
• | Temporary housing and moving expense reimbursement in connection with relocation from Virginia to Michigan. |
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Year (a) | Summary compensation table total for PEO(1)(2) (b) | Compensation actually paid to PEO(3)(4) (c) | Average summary compensation table total for non- PEO named executive officers(1) (d) | Average summary compensation table total for non- PEO named executive officers(3)(4) (e) | Value of initial fixed $100 investment based on total shareholder return(5) (f) | Net income (loss)(6) (h) | ||||||||||||
2025 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $( | ||||||||||||
2024 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
2023 | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
(1) |
(2) | The dollar amounts reported in column (b) is the amount of total compensation reported for Mr. Forgy (our current President and Chief Executive Officer since December 7, 2022) for each corresponding year in the “Total” column of the 2025 summary compensation table. Refer to the “2025 Summary Compensation Table.” |
(3) | Compensation actually paid amounts shown have been calculated in accordance with Item 402(v) of Regulation 402(v) of Regulation S-K and do not reflect compensation actually earned, realized or received by the NEOs. |
(4) | For each year the values included in these columns for the compensation actually paid to our PEO and the average compensation actually paid to our non-PEO NEOs reflect the following adjustments to the values included in columns (b) and (d), respectively: |
FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | ||||||||||||||||
PEO | Non-PEO NEOs Average | PEO | Non-PEO NEOs Average | PEO | Non-PEO NEOs Average | |||||||||||||
Summary Compensation Table (“SCT”) Total | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
Adjustments: | ||||||||||||||||||
- SCT “Stock Awards” Column (grant date FV of equity awards reported in SCT) | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||
+ year-end fair value of equity awards granted in the covered year that were outstanding and unvested as of the covered year-end | ||||||||||||||||||
+/- year over year change in fair value of equity awards granted in prior years that are outstanding and unvested as of the covered year-end | ( | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
+ vesting date fair value of equity awards granted and vested in the covered year | ||||||||||||||||||
+/- year-over-year change in fair value of equity awards granted in prior years that vested in the covered year | ( | ( | ( | ( | ||||||||||||||
- fair value as of prior year end equity awards granted in prior years that failed to vest in the covered year (i.e., forfeited) | ||||||||||||||||||
+ dollar value of dividends/earnings paid on equity awards in the covered year | ||||||||||||||||||
+ excess fair value for equity award modifications | ||||||||||||||||||
Compensation Actually Paid to PEO (columns(c)) | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | $ | ||||||||||||
(5) | For each year, total shareholder return for the Company was calculated in accordance with Item 201 (e) and Item 402 (v) of Regulation S-K. |
(6) | Net income (loss) is rounded to the nearest thousand. |
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FAQ
What are Saga Communications (SGA) shareholders voting on at the 2026 annual meeting?
Shareholders will vote on three main items: electing seven directors, ratifying Crowe LLP as independent registered public accounting firm for the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, and approving on an advisory basis the compensation of named executive officers.
When and how will Saga Communications (SGA) hold its 2026 annual shareholder meeting?
The 2026 annual meeting will be a virtual-only meeting on June 1, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. Shareholders can attend, vote, and submit questions online at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/SGA2026 using the 16-digit control number provided.
How much did Saga Communications’ CEO earn in total compensation for 2025?
The President and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher S. Forgy, received 2025 total compensation of $1,433,041. This included $726,616 in salary, a $215,000 cash bonus, $362,511 in restricted stock awards, and $128,914 in other compensation such as benefits and perquisites.
What compensation do non-employee directors of Saga Communications receive?
In 2025, each non-employee director earned a $72,000 annual cash retainer, with an additional $10,000 retainer for each committee or subcommittee chair role. They also received stock awards of approximately $53,000 annually and must hold at least 1,250 Class A shares within five years.
Who are the largest Saga Communications (SGA) shareholders listed in the proxy?
The proxy lists several major Class A shareholders, including TowerView LLC with 1,161,144 shares (18.2%), the Edward K. Christian Trust group with 881,044 shares (13.8%), Gate City Capital Management with 863,845 shares (13.6%), and Dimensional Fund Advisors with 346,461 shares (5.4%).
What audit fees did Saga Communications pay its independent accountants for 2025?
For 2025, Saga Communications paid Crowe LLP total fees of $470,500. This included $430,500 in audit fees for financial statement and internal control work and $40,000 in audit-related fees, with no tax or other fees billed by Crowe LLP that year.
How does Saga Communications structure executive long-term incentives?
Saga uses its 2023 Incentive Compensation Plan to grant restricted stock to executives. Recent awards vest pro rata over three years, with full vesting upon a qualifying change-in-control while employed. Executives must generally retain 50% of net restricted shares until they leave the company.