Programming leadership at Saga Communications is shifting as Pat Paxton exits the company at the end of the month. In his place, Scott Chase and Ryan Ploeckelman will share the newly created Directors of Group Programming title across Saga’s stations.
Paxton informed staff of his departure in a memo sent Friday.
He joined Saga as Senior Vice President of Content in June 2023, following more than two decades at Audacy, where he most recently served as Chief Programming Officer before departing in August 2021.
Paxton joined then-Entercom in 2000 as Operations Manager of Rhythmic AC Star 93.7 (WQSX) Boston, rising to a corporate programming role in 2004, and later led the company’s Content Innovation Group, producing original digital and social content and syndicating local shows. Earlier in his career, he worked in Sioux City, IA, La Crosse, WI, and Huntington, WV. He also served as National Programming Director for Nationwide Communications and Adventure Communications.
Chase currently oversees Saga’s Ocala, FL, operations and previously held the Director of Group Programming role beginning in August 2020 until Paxton’s arrival. He joined Saga in 2004 and served as Operations Manager of the company’s Clarksville, TN, stations.
Ploeckelman, currently serving as Operations Manager of Saga’s Clarksville cluster, succeeded Chase in that role in 2020. He has been with Saga since 2005, first co-hosting mornings at Hot AC Q108 (WCVQ) before gradually adding programming responsibilities.
