Page 1 of 7 Pages

                                 UNITED STATES
                      SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                            Washington, D.C.  20549

                                 SCHEDULE 13D

                   Under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
                              (Amendment No. 4)*

                            SAGA COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
             -----------------------------------------------------
                                (Name of Issuer)

                             COMMON STOCK, CLASS A
             -----------------------------------------------------
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                   786598102
             -----------------------------------------------------
                                 (CUSIP Number)

                  Linda S. Martinson, Esq. (212) 583-2000
                767 Fifth Avenue, 24th Floor, New York, NY 10153
             -----------------------------------------------------
                 (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person
                Authorized to Receive Notices and Communications)


             -----------------------------------------------------
            (Date of Event which Requires Filing of this Statement)

If the filing person has previously filed a statement on Schedule 13G to report
the acquisition which is the subject of this Schedule 13D, and is filing this
schedule because of Rule 13d-1(b)(3) or (4), check the following box [ ].

Check the following box if a fee is being paid with this statement [ ].
(A fee is not required only if the filing person: (1) has a previous  statement
on file reporting beneficial ownership of more than five percent of the class of
securities described in Item 1; and (2) has filed no amendment subsequent
thereto reporting beneficial ownership of five percent or less of such class.)
(See Rule 13d-7.)

*The remainder of this cover page shall be filled out for a reporting person's
initial filing on this form with respect to the subject class of securities,
and for any subsequent amendment containing information which would alter
disclosures provided in a prior cover page.

The information required on the remainder of this cover page shall not be
deemed to be "filed" for the purpose of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange
Act of 1934 ("Act") or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section of
the Act but shall be subject to all other provisions of the Act (however, see
the Notes).

                                                    SEC 1746 (12-91)

Schedule 13D Amendment No. 4(continued) CUSIP No. 786598102 Page 2 of 7 Pages - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 NAME OF REPORTING PERSON S.S. OR I.R.S. IDENTIFICATION NO. OF ABOVE PERSON Ronald Baron - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 2 CHECK THE APPROPRIATE BOX IF A MEMBER OF A GROUP* (a) [ ] (b) [ ] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3 SEC USE ONLY - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 4 SOURCE OF FUNDS OO - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 5 CHECK BOX IF DISCLOSURE OF LEGAL PROCEEDING IS REQUIRED PURSUANT TO ITEMS 2(C) OR 2(E) [ ] - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 6 CITIZENSHIP OR PLACE OF ORGANIZATION - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- NUMBER OF 7 SOLE VOTING POWER SHARES 378,500 BENEFICIALLY -------------------------------------------------------------- OWNED BY 8 SHARED VOTING POWER EACH 2,122,949 REPORTING -------------------------------------------------------------- PERSON 9 SOLE DISPOSITIVE POWER WITH 378,500 -------------------------------------------------------------- 10 SHARED DISPOSITIVE POWER 2,122,949 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 11 AGGREGATE AMOUNT BENEFICIALLY OWNED BY EACH REPORTING PERSON 2,501,449 - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 12 CHECK BOX IF THE AGGREGATE AMOUNT IN ROW (11) EXCLUDES CERTAIN SHARES* - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 13 PERCENT OF CLASS REPRESENTED BY AMOUNT IN ROW (11) 31.1% - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 14 TYPE OF REPORTING PERSON* IN - -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- *SEE INSTRUCTIONS BEFORE FILLING OUT

Page 3 of 7 Pages Item 1. Security and Issuer (a) Name of Issuer: Saga Communications, Inc. (b) Address of Issuer's Principal Executive Offices: 73 Kercheval Avenue Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236 (c) Title and Class of Securities: Common Stock, Class A Item 2. Identity and Background (a) Name: Ronald Baron (b) Business Address: 767 Fifth Avenue 24th Floor New York, NY 10153 (c) Present Principal Employment: President: Baron Capital Management, Inc., BAMCO, Inc., Baron Capital, Inc. 767 Fifth Avenue 24th Floor New York, NY 10153 (d) Record of Convictions: No material change. (e) Record of Civil Proceedings: No material change. (f) Citizenship: No material change. Item 3. Source and Amount of Funds or Other Consideration Reporting Person owns no shares of the issuer directly. As General Partner of Baron Capital Partners, L.P. and Baron Investment Partners, L.P.(the "Partnerships"), investment partnerships, he directed the purchase of 378,500 shares for the account of the Partnerships for an aggregate purchase price of $5,179,237. Those shares were paid for by cash assets in the Partnerships' accounts and by margin borrowings pursuant to the standard margin agreement of Spear, Leeds & Kellogg. An additional 1,770,300 shares were purchased for an aggregate purchase price of $27,037,620 for the accounts of two investment companies registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940, Baron Asset Fund and Baron Growth & Income Fund, (the "Baron Funds"), which are advised by BAMCO, Inc. ("BAMCO"), a registered investment adviser which is controlled by Ronald Baron. An additional 352,649 shares were purchased for an aggregate purchase price of $4,149,047 for the accounts of investment advisory clients of

Page 4 of 7 Pages Baron Capital Management, Inc.("BCM") a registered investment adviser controlled by Ronald Baron. All of those shares were paid for by cash the assets in the accounts of the investment companies and advisory clients. Item 4. Purpose of Transaction No material change. Item 5. Interest in Securities of the Issuer (a) Amount and percentage beneficially owned: Reporting Person: (i) 2,122,949 shares in his capacity as a controlling person of BAMCO and BCM . Reporting Person disclaims that he is the beneficial owner of these shares. (ii) 378,500 shares in his capacity as General Partner of the Partnerships. (iii) no shares personally. (b) Number of shares as to which such person has: (i) sole power to vote or direct the vote: 378,500 (ii) shared power to vote or direct the vote: 2,122,949 (iii) sole power to dispose or to direct the disposition: 378,500 (iv) shared power to dispose or direct the disposition: 2,122,949 Reporting Person may be deemed to share power to vote and dispose of shares referred to herein as a result of his control of the investment advisers for whose advisory clients he is reporting. He may be deemed to have sole power to vote and direct the disposition of the shares referred to above to by reason of being a general partner of BCP (c) A schedule of transactions effected in the last sixty days is attached hereto. (d) Ownership of More than Five Percent on Behalf of Another Person: The investment advisory clients have the right to receive the dividends from, or the proceeds from the sale of the securities in their respective accounts. To the best of Reporting Person's knowledge, no person has such interest relating to more than 5% of the outstanding class of securities, except that Baron Asset Fund, an investment company registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and an advisory client of BAMCO, owns 1,560,300 (19.4%) of the shares reported herein. (e) Ownership of Less than Five Percent: Not applicable. Item 6. Contracts, Arrangements, Understandings or Relationships with Respect to Securities of the Issuer No material change.

Page 5 of 7 Pages Item 7. Material to be Filed as Exhibits Exhibit 99 - 60 days of trading. Signature After reasonable inquiry and to the best of my knowledge and belief, I certify that the information set forth in this statement is true, complete and correct. Date: October 9, 1996 /s/ Ronald Baron _______________________________________ Ronald Baron


Transaction Schedule
From 07-31-96 to 09-30-96

                        Exec.
Date        Account ID  Quantity    Price
- --------  --------  --------  --------

07-31-96  bgi       2,500          19.7500
08-01-96  bgi       5,000          19.7500
08-02-96  bgi       2,500          19.7500
08-14-96  baf       5,000          21.5000
08-14-96  baf       2,000          21.5000
08-15-96  baf       12,100         21.4132
08-16-96  baf       4,000          21.7500
08-16-96  baf       5,900          21.5000
08-19-96  baf       1,500          21.6250
08-20-96  baf       4,500          21.6250
08-22-96  baf       5,000          21.7500
08-22-96  baf       5,000          21.5000
08-23-96  baf       12,500         21.2500
08-23-96  baf       2,500          21.2500
08-23-96  bgi       5,000          21.2500
08-26-96  baf       10,000         21.0312
08-26-96  baf       10,000         21.2500
08-27-96  baf       15,000         21.0000
08-27-96  bgi       5,000          21.0000
08-28-96  baf       15,000         21.0000
08-28-96  baf       1,400          20.8750
08-28-96  bgi       5,000          21.0000
08-29-96  baf       11,700         20.9861
08-30-96  baf       6,900          21.0000
09-03-96  baf       10,000         21.0000
09-03-96  bgi       5,000          21.0000
09-04-96  baf       6,000          21.0000
09-04-96  baf       5,000          21.0000
09-05-96  baf       3,800          20.8586
09-06-96  baf       5,200          21.0000
09-09-96  baf       10,000         21.0000
09-09-96  baf       10,000         20.9900
09-09-96  bcm4      6,000          21.0000
09-10-96  baf       10,000         20.9900
09-11-96  baf       15,900         20.9769
09-11-96  bcm4      500       20.8750
09-11-96  bcm4      2,500          20.9769
09-12-96  baf       14,100         21.0000
09-12-96  bip       3,500          21.0000
09-16-96  bcm4      20,000         21.4568
09-17-96  baf       10,000         21.5000
09-17-96  bcm4      5,000          21.5000
09-18-96  baf       10,000         21.0000
09-18-96  bcm4      5,000          21.0000
09-19-96  baf       6,000          20.7500
09-19-96  baf       7,500          21.0000
09-19-96  baf       1,200          20.7500
09-20-96  baf       12,300         20.9390
09-23-96  baf       8,000          20.9297
09-24-96  baf       10,000         21.0000
09-24-96  baf       5,000          21.0000
09-24-96  bcm4      5,000          21.0000
09-24-96  bgi       5,000          21.0000
09-25-96  bcm4      2,700          20.8750
09-26-96  baf       1,000          21.3750
09-26-96  bgi       1,000          21.3750
09-27-96  baf       600       21.7500
09-27-96  baf       2,300          21.5920
09-30-96  baf       6,400          22.1178
09-30-96  bgi       4,000          22.1178