Buffett Acquires Roanoke Times

Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway has acquired the Roanoke Times, which joins its BH Media Group unit’s holdings of Virginia newspapers.

That collection includes papers the Richmond Times Dispatch and publications Danville, Lynchburg and Charlottesville.

In acquiring RT from Landmark Media Enterprises, BHMG chief Terry Kroeger expressed his firm’s practice of not interfering in the management of its local outlets.

RT publisher Debbie Meade has announced her retirement with the May 31 closing of the deal.

Terry Jamerson, VP of BHMG’s Virginia Community Newspaper subsidiary, succeeds her.

RT employs 300 people and has circulations of 67K and 85K daily and Sunday, respectively.

Frank Batten, Landmark CEO, called BHMG, the “best home” for the RT, which becomes owned by people who “understand the value and the role of newspapers.”

BHMG owns 28 dailies.

Financial Times Takes Aim at Twitter

The Financial Times has launched fastFT, a tool designed to provide readers information bursts presented with the cheeky attitude of the British publication.

The 100-to-250 word mini-stories run on the right side of FT’s home page and on a separate website.

The paper says the dispatches, offering a mix of news and comment, are for people who believe Twitter’s 140 characters limit just “doesn’t cut it.”

Eight journalists in London, New York and Hong Kong staff the operation.

They will submit at least three items every hour.

Milstein Upped at Hearst

Lincoln Milstein, 63, has been named senior VP and aide de camp of new CEO Steven Swartz.

He had worked with Swartz when he headed Hearst’s newspaper group.

Milstein co-founded Boston.com for the Boston Globe in 1995 and ran in until 2000 when he became executive VP of the paper’s parent, New York Times Co.’s digital unit.

He joined Hearst in 2005 and created a raft of digital partnerships for the company.

Schwartz hailed Milstein as a “digital media leader” for the company.

King Joins Moscow's TV Mouthpiece

CNN alumnus Larry King has joined Russia Today and will host what is billed as a “mold-breaking political talk show” that will stream online at Hulu.com and Ora.TV and be available on rt.com.

RT, which is the propaganda arm of the Putin government, promises that King will speak to “leading establishment figures, and those who are not afraid to go against the grain.”

King says he looks eager to mounting the RT platform so he can present “real alternative visions for our country’s future.”

His new program, “Politics with Larry King,” will air four times a week.

Castaldo Moves to BPI PR Slot

Gennaro Castaldo, a 27-year veteran of the failed U.K. HMV entertainment retailing chain, has moved to BPI as its communications chief.

He replaces Alam Liversage, who exits June 15 from the trade group of Britain’s recorded music industry.

BPI chief Geoff Taylor looks forward to working with Castaldo and to capitalize on his “long experience working with the music industry, focus on consumers and his strong relationship with the press,” according to a report in CMU, the British trade publication.

BPI has more than 300 independent labels as well as The Big Three group of Sony Music Entertainment, Universal Music Group and Warner Music Group.

HMV went into receivership in January. Investment firm Hilco, an outfit that restructures retailers, purchased its assets.

Entertainment Connects Globe, Says Edelman

Two-thirds of respondents to Edelman’s 2013 global entertainment survey say watching and sharing online entertainment makes them feel more connected to the world.

According to Gail Becker, chair of Edelman’s U.S. western region, Canada and Latin America, “’visual-tainment breaks down barriers, which increases people’s desire to share that content and experience with others, a trend that is particularly in the emerging markets.”

The survey found that 60 percent of respondents want to view content with a device that allow purchase of desired merchandise.

“Personal recommendations” top the ratings of top influencers.

The majority of respondents share content via social media channels about as much as they do about their family or friends.

Edelman Berland, research firm, conducted the survey of people aged 18 to 54 living in Brazil, China, India, Korea, Germany, Korea, Turkey and the U.S.