Saga Communications announced Monday that CEO Ed Christian died Friday at the age of 78. Christian passed away after a short illness. Warren Lada, a member of Saga’s Board of Directors and former COO, has been appointed Interim CEO.
Christian founded the Company in 1986 and has fostered its growth to owning 79 FM radio stations, 35 AM radio stations and 80 translator stations in 27 markets. Under Christian’s leadership the Company became a publicly traded company in 1992 and continues to be traded under the ticker symbol “SGA” on the Nasdaq stock exchange.
Christian was one of the longest running executives on Radio Ink’s 40 Most Powerful People in Radio list. He was on our list for 25 consecutive years. 
Radio Ink Founder Eric Rhoads: “It’s sad to see so many icons of the industry fading away. Ed was one of the brightest, most innovative and most unconventional. He was never one to follow the pied pipers, he had his own ideas and did not jump on every trend just because others were doing it. He was fiscally conservative, and programming centric, valuing live and local talent. Overall, he was a great broadcaster at a time when many owners were not broadcasters at heart. He will be missed. My condolences to his family and his radio family.”
NAB President and CEO Curtis LeGeyt said, “Ed Christian built Saga Communications into one of the preeminent radio groups in the country through keen business sense and a deep understanding of the power of local radio. He was a passionate defender of broadcasting whose leadership helped secure a bright future for the radio community. NAB extends our condolences to his family on their loss.”
