Veteran Media Broker, Talent Named Interim Saga Board Head

Veteran Media Broker, Talent Named Interim Saga Board Head


For more than a half-century, he’s been involved in the radio business in some fashion. During the 1960s, he was a deejay at stations including “Keener 13,” WKNR/Detroit, and from April 5, 1965, at WMCA in New York, where he became a “Good Guy.” In the 1970s, he became General Manager of Top 40 leader KRIZ in Phoenix for Doubleday Broadcasting, a company he rose to President at in 1977. By the 1980s, he had become a successful media broker through his own company.

Starting August 24, this industry veteran will serve as interim Chairman of the Board of Saga Communications, a move that comes following the August 19 passing of its founder and CEO.

Getting the interim role is Gary G. Stevens, as the Saga board acted unanimously to appoint the existing board member to the role.

Stevens, today 82 years of age, has been on the Saga board since 1995. and was most recently the company’s Lead Independent Director. He will continue his service as Chair of Saga’s Compensation Committee.

Stevens in 1988 founded Gary Stevens & Co., a move that came following two years as a Managing Director of former Wall Street investment firm Wertheim Schroder & Co. This role came after he departed as Doubleday CEO, a move precipitated by the 1986 sale of its three remaining radio stations — WHN-AM & WAPP-FM in New York and WAVA/Washington, D.C. — to Emmis Communications for $53 million. KRIZ was famously sold while still ranked No. 1 in Phoenix, in July 1978.

Stevens has served on the boards of several public companies as well as the board of the National Association of Broadcasters, the Radio Advertising Bureau and the Electronic Media Ratings Council.

 



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