SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20459
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

      Delaware                                  38-3042953
(State or other jurisdiction of              (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)             Identification No.)

             73 Kercheval Avenue, Grosse Point Farms, Michigan 48236
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

             SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC. EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                              (Full title of plan)

                                Christine M. Marx
                              Edwards & Angell, LLP
                           51 John F. Kennedy Parkway
                          Short Hills, New Jersey 07078
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (973) 376-7700
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         Calculation of Registration Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Proposed      Proposed
                                          Maximum       Maximum
                                          Offering      Aggregate     Amount of
Title of Securities    Amount to be      Price Per      Offering    Registration
 to be Registered     Registered Price     Unit(1)      Price (1)       Fee

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A Common Stock  1,000,000 shares    $22.0625     $22,062,500    $6,133.38

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)      This  calculation  is made  solely for the purpose of  determining  the
         amount of the  Registration  Fee and is based upon a price of  $22.0625
         per  share,  which was the  average  of the high and low  prices of the
         Company's Class A Common Stock on the American Stock Exchange  reported
         on August 16, 1999.
(2)      In addition,  pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933,
         this  registration  statement  also covers an  indeterminate  amount of
         interests to be offered or sold  pursuant to the employee  benefit plan
         described herein.


<PAGE>


                                     PART II

                   INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS


Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     There are incorporated herein by reference the following documents:

     1.   The Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December
          31, 1998, as filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act of
          1934.

     2.   The Company's  Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters  ended
          March  31,  1999 and  June 30,  1999,  as  filed  with the  Commission
          pursuant to the Exchange Act of 1934.

     3.   The  description  of  the  Company's  Common  Stock   incorporated  by
          reference in the  Company's  Registration  Statement on Form 8-A filed
          with the Commission  pursuant to the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
          including  any  amendment or reports filed for the purpose of updating
          such description.

     4.   All other  documents  filed by the  Company  or the Plan  pursuant  to
          Section  13(a),  13(c),  14 or  15(d)  of the  Exchange  Act  of  1934
          subsequent to the date of this Prospectus and prior to the filing of a
          post-effective  amendment which indicates that all securities  offered
          hereby  have  been  sold or  which  deregisters  all  securities  then
          remaining  unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into
          this  Prospectus and such document shall be deemed to be a part hereof
          from the date of filing of such document.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

     Not applicable

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

     Not applicable

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

     The  Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation  of the Company  provides for
indemnification  to the full extent permitted by the General  Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware (the "Delaware  Code"), as amended from time to time. Such
section  makes  mandatory  the  indemnification  by the  Company  of  directors,
officers,  employees  or  agents  from  and  against  any and all  expenses  and
liabilities  that may be imposed upon or incurred by him in connection  with, or
as a result of, any  proceeding in which he may become  involved,  as a party or
otherwise,  by reason of the fact  that he is or was such a  director,  officer,
employee or agent of the  Company or any  subsidiary  or parent of the  Company,
whether or not he continues to be such at the time such expenses and liabilities
have been imposed or incurred.  Section 145 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code also
provides that such indemnification is not exclusive of any other indemnification
rights granted by the Company to directors, officers, employees or agents.

     The By-Laws of the Company  mandate that each person who at any time is, or
shall have been, a director or officer of the Company,  and is  threatened to be
or is made a party to any  threatened,  pending  or  completed  action,  suit or
proceeding,  whether civil, criminal,  administrative or investigative by reason
of the fact that he is, or was, a  director,  officer,  employee or agent of the
Corporation,  or is or has served at the  request of the  Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation,  partnership,  joint venture,
trust or other  enterprise,  shall be indemnified  against  expenses  (including
attorneys' fees),  judgments,  fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably  incurred by him in connection with any action, suit or proceeding to
the full extent  permitted  under  subsections (a) through (e) of Section 145 of
Title 8 of the Delaware Code, as from time to time amended.  The foregoing right
of  indemnification  shall  in no  way  be  exclusive  of any  other  rights  of
indemnification  to which  such  director,  officer,  employee  or agent  may be
entitled,  under any by-law,  agreement,  vote of shareholders or  disinterested
directors or otherwise, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a
director,  officer,  employee  or agent and shall  inure to the  benefit  of the
heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

     The Restated  Certificate of  Incorporation  of the Company also contains a
provision  eliminating  the  liability  of a  director  to  the  Company  or its
stockholders  for breach of fiduciary  duty as a director,  other than liability
(a) for  breach of the  director's  duty of loyalty  to the  corporation  or its
stockholders,  (b) for acts or  omissions  not in good  faith  or which  involve
intentional  misconduct or a knowing  violation of law, (c) under Section 174 of
the Delaware  General  Corporation law or (d) for any transaction from which the
director derived an improper personal benefit.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted  pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  the Registrant
has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission,
such indemnification is contrary to public policy as expressed in the Securities
Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

     Not applicable

Item 8.  Exhibits.

     5 - Opinion of Edwards & Angell, LLP

     23(a) - Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

     23(b) - Consent of Edwards & Angell, LLP (included in Exhibit 5)

Item 9.  Undertakings

     The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file,  during any period in which  offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement;

          (i) To include  any  prospectus  required  by Section  10(a)(3) of the
     Securities Act of 1933;

          (ii) To reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising after
     the  effective  date of the  registration  statement  (or the  most  recent
     post-effective amendment thereof) which,  individually or in the aggregate,
     represent  a  fundamental  change  in  the  information  set  forth  in the
     registration statement; and

          (iii) To include any material  information with respect to the plan of
     distribution not previously disclosed in the registration  statement or any
     material change for such information in the registration statement;

     Provided, however that paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this section do not apply
if the  information  required to be included in a  post-effective  amendment  by
those  paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Company pursuant
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

     (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933,  each  such  post-effective  amendment  shall be deemed to be a new
registration  statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective  amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

     The  undersigned   Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that,  for  purposes  of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 (and each filing of an employee  benefit  plan
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934)
that is incorporated by reference in the registration  statement shall be deemed
to be a new registration  statement  relating to the securities offered therein,
and the  offering  of such  securities  at that  time  shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  to deliver or cause to be
delivered with the prospectus,  to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or
given,  the latest annual  report to security  holders that is  incorporated  by
reference  in  the  prospectus  and  furnished   pursuant  to  and  meeting  the
requirements  of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the  Securities  Exchange Act of
1934;  and,  where  interim  financial  information  required to be presented by
Article 3 of Regulation S-X are not set forth in the prospectus,  to deliver, or
cause to be  delivered to each person to whom the  prospectus  is sent or given,
the latest  quarterly  report that is specifically  incorporated by reference in
the prospectus to provide such interim financial information.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,  the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities  and Exchange  Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
of  1933  and is,  therefore,  unenforceable.  In the  event  that a  claim  for
indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other  than  the  payment  by  the
Registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  Registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against  public policy as expressed in the  Securities
Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.


<PAGE>
                            SIGNATURES AND AMENDMENTS

     Each person whose signature  appears below hereby  constitutes and appoints
the President,  the Chief Financial  Officer or the Secretary of the Registrant,
or any one of them, acting alone, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact,  with
full power and  authority  to execute in the name,  place and stead of each such
person in any and all  capacities and to file, an amendment or amendments to the
Registration  Statement  (and all exhibits  thereto) and any documents  relating
thereto,  which amendment may make such changes in the Registration Statement as
said officer or officers so acting deem(s) advisable.

                                   SIGNATURES

     The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly  authorized,  in the City of Grosse  Pointe  Farms,  State of Michigan,  on
August 19, 1999.

                                              SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.



                                              By /s/ Edward K. Christian
                                                 ------------------------------
                                                     Edward K. Christian
                                                     President

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on August 19, 1999.

Signatures                               Title

/s/Edward K. Christian             President, Chief Executive
----------------------------         Officer and Chairman of the Board
   Edward K. Christian


/s/Samuel D. Bush                  Vice President, Chief Financial
----------------------------         Officer
   Samuel D. Bush


/s/Catherine Bobinski              Vice President, Corporate Controller and
----------------------------          Chief Accounting Officer
    Catherine Bobinski


/s/Kristin Allen                   Director
----------------------------
   Kristin Allen


/s/Donald Alt                      Director
----------------------------
    Donald Alt


                                   Director
----------------------------
   Jonathan Firestone


/s/Joseph P. Misiewicz             Director
----------------------------
   Joseph P. Misiewicz


/s/Gary Stevens                    Director
----------------------------
   Gary Stevens




<PAGE>

The Plan

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities Act of 1933, the Plan has
duly  caused  this  Registration  Statement  to be signed  in its  behalf by the
undersigned,  thereunto  duly  authorized,  in the City of Grosse  Pointe Farms,
State of Michigan, on August 19, 1999.



                                                    Saga Communications, Inc.
                                                    Employee Stock Purchase Plan



                                                     By:/s/ Marcia K. Lobaito
                                                        -----------------------
                                                            Marcia K. Lobaito
                                                            Plan Administrator
[{"type": "S-8", "sequence": "1", "description": "FORM S-8", "secsgml_size_bytes": 16261}]
{"company-data": {"conformed-name": "SAGA COMMUNICATIONS INC", "cik": "0000886136", "assigned-sic": "4832", "irs-number": "383042953", "state-of-incorporation": "DE", "fiscal-year-end": "1231"}, "filing-values": {"form-type": "S-8", "act": "33", "file-number": "333-85535", "film-number": "99695728"}, "business-address": {"street1": "73 KERCHEVAL AVE", "city": "GROSSE POINTE FARMS", "state": "MI", "zip": "48236", "phone": "3138867070"}, "mail-address": {"street1": "73 KERCHEVAL AVE", "street2": "73 KERCHEVAL AVE", "city": "GROSSE POINTE FARMS", "state": "MI", "zip": "48236"}}
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20459
                                    FORM S-8
                             REGISTRATION STATEMENT
                                      under
                           THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

                            SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
             (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

      Delaware                                  38-3042953
(State or other jurisdiction of              (I.R.S. Employer
incorporation or organization)             Identification No.)

             73 Kercheval Avenue, Grosse Point Farms, Michigan 48236
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

             SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC. EMPLOYEE STOCK PURCHASE PLAN
                              (Full title of plan)

                                Christine M. Marx
                              Edwards & Angell, LLP
                           51 John F. Kennedy Parkway
                          Short Hills, New Jersey 07078
                     (Name and address of agent for service)

                                 (973) 376-7700
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
          (Telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)

                         Calculation of Registration Fee
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                          Proposed      Proposed
                                          Maximum       Maximum
                                          Offering      Aggregate     Amount of
Title of Securities    Amount to be      Price Per      Offering    Registration
 to be Registered     Registered Price     Unit(1)      Price (1)       Fee

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Class A Common Stock  1,000,000 shares    $22.0625     $22,062,500    $6,133.38

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(1)      This  calculation  is made  solely for the purpose of  determining  the
         amount of the  Registration  Fee and is based upon a price of  $22.0625
         per  share,  which was the  average  of the high and low  prices of the
         Company's Class A Common Stock on the American Stock Exchange  reported
         on August 16, 1999.
(2)      In addition,  pursuant to Rule 416(c) under the Securities Act of 1933,
         this  registration  statement  also covers an  indeterminate  amount of
         interests to be offered or sold  pursuant to the employee  benefit plan
         described herein.
PART II

                   INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN THE PROSPECTUS

Item 3.  Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

     There are incorporated herein by reference the following documents:

     1.   The Company's  Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended  December
          31, 1998, as filed with the Commission pursuant to the Exchange Act of
          1934.

     2.   The Company's  Quarterly  Reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters  ended
          March  31,  1999 and  June 30,  1999,  as  filed  with the  Commission
          pursuant to the Exchange Act of 1934.

     3.   The  description  of  the  Company's  Common  Stock   incorporated  by
          reference in the  Company's  Registration  Statement on Form 8-A filed
          with the Commission  pursuant to the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934,
          including  any  amendment or reports filed for the purpose of updating
          such description.

     4.   All other  documents  filed by the  Company  or the Plan  pursuant  to
          Section  13(a),  13(c),  14 or  15(d)  of the  Exchange  Act  of  1934
          subsequent to the date of this Prospectus and prior to the filing of a
          post-effective  amendment which indicates that all securities  offered
          hereby  have  been  sold or  which  deregisters  all  securities  then
          remaining  unsold shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference into
          this  Prospectus and such document shall be deemed to be a part hereof
          from the date of filing of such document.

Item 4.  Description of Securities

     Not applicable

Item 5.  Interests of Named Experts and Counsel

     Not applicable

Item 6.  Indemnification of Directors and Officers

     The  Restated  Certificate  of  Incorporation  of the Company  provides for
indemnification  to the full extent permitted by the General  Corporation Law of
the State of Delaware (the "Delaware  Code"), as amended from time to time. Such
section  makes  mandatory  the  indemnification  by the  Company  of  directors,
officers,  employees  or  agents  from  and  against  any and all  expenses  and
liabilities  that may be imposed upon or incurred by him in connection  with, or
as a result of, any  proceeding in which he may become  involved,  as a party or
otherwise,  by reason of the fact  that he is or was such a  director,  officer,
employee or agent of the  Company or any  subsidiary  or parent of the  Company,
whether or not he continues to be such at the time such expenses and liabilities
have been imposed or incurred.  Section 145 of Title 8 of the Delaware Code also
provides that such indemnification is not exclusive of any other indemnification
rights granted by the Company to directors, officers, employees or agents.

     The By-Laws of the Company  mandate that each person who at any time is, or
shall have been, a director or officer of the Company,  and is  threatened to be
or is made a party to any  threatened,  pending  or  completed  action,  suit or
proceeding,  whether civil, criminal,  administrative or investigative by reason
of the fact that he is, or was, a  director,  officer,  employee or agent of the
Corporation,  or is or has served at the  request of the  Company as a director,
officer, employee or agent of another corporation,  partnership,  joint venture,
trust or other  enterprise,  shall be indemnified  against  expenses  (including
attorneys' fees),  judgments,  fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and
reasonably  incurred by him in connection with any action, suit or proceeding to
the full extent  permitted  under  subsections (a) through (e) of Section 145 of
Title 8 of the Delaware Code, as from time to time amended.  The foregoing right
of  indemnification  shall  in no  way  be  exclusive  of any  other  rights  of
indemnification  to which  such  director,  officer,  employee  or agent  may be
entitled,  under any by-law,  agreement,  vote of shareholders or  disinterested
directors or otherwise, and shall continue as to a person who has ceased to be a
director,  officer,  employee  or agent and shall  inure to the  benefit  of the
heirs, executors and administrators of such a person.

     The Restated  Certificate of  Incorporation  of the Company also contains a
provision  eliminating  the  liability  of a  director  to  the  Company  or its
stockholders  for breach of fiduciary  duty as a director,  other than liability
(a) for  breach of the  director's  duty of loyalty  to the  corporation  or its
stockholders,  (b) for acts or  omissions  not in good  faith  or which  involve
intentional  misconduct or a knowing  violation of law, (c) under Section 174 of
the Delaware  General  Corporation law or (d) for any transaction from which the
director derived an improper personal benefit.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted  pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  the Registrant
has been advised that, in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission,
such indemnification is contrary to public policy as expressed in the Securities
Act of 1933 and is, therefore, unenforceable.

Item 7.  Exemption from Registration Claimed

     Not applicable

Item 8.  Exhibits.

     5 - Opinion of Edwards & Angell, LLP

     23(a) - Consent of Ernst & Young LLP

     23(b) - Consent of Edwards & Angell, LLP (included in Exhibit 5)

Item 9.  Undertakings

     The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes:

     (1) To file,  during any period in which  offers or sales are being made, a
post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement;

          (i) To include  any  prospectus  required  by Section  10(a)(3) of the
     Securities Act of 1933;

          (ii) To reflect in the  prospectus  any facts or events  arising after
     the  effective  date of the  registration  statement  (or the  most  recent
     post-effective amendment thereof) which,  individually or in the aggregate,
     represent  a  fundamental  change  in  the  information  set  forth  in the
     registration statement; and

          (iii) To include any material  information with respect to the plan of
     distribution not previously disclosed in the registration  statement or any
     material change for such information in the registration statement;

     Provided, however that paragraphs (i) and (ii) of this section do not apply
if the  information  required to be included in a  post-effective  amendment  by
those  paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed by the Company pursuant
to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the  Securities  Exchange Act of 1934 that are
incorporated by reference in the registration statement.

     (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities
Act of 1933,  each  such  post-effective  amendment  shall be deemed to be a new
registration  statement  relating to the  securities  offered  therein,  and the
offering of such  securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona
fide offering thereof.

     (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective  amendment any
of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the
offering.

     The  undersigned   Registrant  hereby  undertakes  that,  for  purposes  of
determining  any liability  under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the
Registrant's  annual  report  pursuant to Section  13(a) or Section 15(d) of the
Securities  Exchange  Act of 1934 (and each filing of an employee  benefit  plan
annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities  Exchange Act of 1934)
that is incorporated by reference in the registration  statement shall be deemed
to be a new registration  statement  relating to the securities offered therein,
and the  offering  of such  securities  at that  time  shall be deemed to be the
initial bona fide offering thereof.

     The  undersigned  Registrant  hereby  undertakes  to deliver or cause to be
delivered with the prospectus,  to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or
given,  the latest annual  report to security  holders that is  incorporated  by
reference  in  the  prospectus  and  furnished   pursuant  to  and  meeting  the
requirements  of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the  Securities  Exchange Act of
1934;  and,  where  interim  financial  information  required to be presented by
Article 3 of Regulation S-X are not set forth in the prospectus,  to deliver, or
cause to be  delivered to each person to whom the  prospectus  is sent or given,
the latest  quarterly  report that is specifically  incorporated by reference in
the prospectus to provide such interim financial information.

     Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act
of 1933 may be permitted to directors,  officers and controlling  persons of the
Registrant pursuant to the foregoing  provisions,  or otherwise,  the Registrant
has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities  and Exchange  Commission
such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act
of  1933  and is,  therefore,  unenforceable.  In the  event  that a  claim  for
indemnification  against  such  liabilities  (other  than  the  payment  by  the
Registrant of expenses  incurred or paid by a director,  officer or  controlling
person of the  Registrant  in the  successful  defense  of any  action,  suit or
proceeding)  is  asserted by such  director,  officer or  controlling  person in
connection with the securities being registered,  the Registrant will, unless in
the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent,
submit  to a  court  of  appropriate  jurisdiction  the  question  whether  such
indemnification  by it is against  public policy as expressed in the  Securities
Act of 1933 and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.
SIGNATURES AND AMENDMENTS

     Each person whose signature  appears below hereby  constitutes and appoints
the President,  the Chief Financial  Officer or the Secretary of the Registrant,
or any one of them, acting alone, as his true and lawful attorney-in-fact,  with
full power and  authority  to execute in the name,  place and stead of each such
person in any and all  capacities and to file, an amendment or amendments to the
Registration  Statement  (and all exhibits  thereto) and any documents  relating
thereto,  which amendment may make such changes in the Registration Statement as
said officer or officers so acting deem(s) advisable.

                                   SIGNATURES

     The Registrant. Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933,
the Registrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets
all of the  requirements  for  filing  on  Form  S-8 and has  duly  caused  this
Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned,  thereunto
duly  authorized,  in the City of Grosse  Pointe  Farms,  State of Michigan,  on
August 19, 1999.

                                              SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.

                                              By /s/ Edward K. Christian
                                                 ------------------------------
                                                     Edward K. Christian
                                                     President

     Pursuant  to  the   requirements  of  the  Securities  Act  of  1933,  this
Registration  Statement  has  been  signed  by  the  following  persons  in  the
capacities indicated on August 19, 1999.

Signatures                               Title

/s/Edward K. Christian             President, Chief Executive
----------------------------         Officer and Chairman of the Board
   Edward K. Christian

/s/Samuel D. Bush                  Vice President, Chief Financial
----------------------------         Officer
   Samuel D. Bush

/s/Catherine Bobinski              Vice President, Corporate Controller and
----------------------------          Chief Accounting Officer
    Catherine Bobinski

/s/Kristin Allen                   Director
----------------------------
   Kristin Allen

/s/Donald Alt                      Director
----------------------------
    Donald Alt

                                   Director
----------------------------
   Jonathan Firestone

/s/Joseph P. Misiewicz             Director
----------------------------
   Joseph P. Misiewicz

/s/Gary Stevens                    Director
----------------------------
   Gary Stevens
The Plan

     Pursuant to the  requirements  of the  Securities Act of 1933, the Plan has
duly  caused  this  Registration  Statement  to be signed  in its  behalf by the
undersigned,  thereunto  duly  authorized,  in the City of Grosse  Pointe Farms,
State of Michigan, on August 19, 1999.

                                                    Saga Communications, Inc.
                                                    Employee Stock Purchase Plan

                                                     By:/s/ Marcia K. Lobaito
                                                        -----------------------
                                                            Marcia K. Lobaito
                                                            Plan Administrator