The Roanoke Times

Newspaper in Roanoke, Virginia

The Roanoke Times

The July 27, 2005 front page of
The Roanoke Times

Type| Daily newspaper
Format| Broadsheet
Owner(s)| Lee Enterprises
Publisher| Samuel Worthington
Founded| 1886
Language| English
Headquarters| 210 Church Ave SW Suite 100
Roanoke, Virginia 24011
United States
Circulation| 19,657 Daily
22,103 Sunday (as of 2023)[1]
Website| roanoke.com

The Roanoke Times is the primary newspaper in Southwestern Virginia and is based in Roanoke, Virginia, United States. It is published by Lee Enterprises. In addition to its headquarters in Roanoke, it maintains a bureau in Christiansburg, covering the eastern New River Valley and Virginia Tech.

According to the 2011 Scarborough “Ranker Report,” The Roanoke Times ranks fifth in the country in terms of percentage of adults reading a newspaper on weekdays in that newspaper's coverage area.

## History

[edit]

The Roanoke Daily Times began publication in 1886. The paper's original owner, M. H. Claytor, eventually added a companion evening newspaper, The Roanoke Evening News. In 1909, he sold the paper to a group headed by banker J. B. Fishburn. The Fishburn group bought the Roanoke Evening World in 1913, merging it with the Evening News and changing its name to the Roanoke World-News. At the same time, Times-World Corporation was formed as the owner of both papers.

By 1931, Times-World Corporation had expanded into broadcasting with the purchase of WDBJ (now WFIR), Roanoke's first radio station. It eventually spawned an FM station (now WSLC) and a television station (which still has the WDBJ calls). In 1969, Times-World merged with Landmark Communications, which sold off the broadcasting properties and kept the papers. In 1977, Landmark merged the two papers into a single all-day paper, The Roanoke Times & World-News.[2] The World-News was dropped from the masthead in 1995.[3]

Landmark started shopping its newspaper properties in 2008 and sold the Times to Berkshire Hathaway's BH Media Group in 2013.[4] This made the Times a sister publication to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, as well as the News & Advance of Lynchburg, the other major paper serving the Roanoke/Lynchburg media market.

## Notable stories

[edit]

As the major daily newspaper for Roanoke and much of Southwest Virginia, The Roanoke Times has extensively covered news events from the area that have gained national media exposure. Some examples include:

* International Marketing & Engineering Inc., investigated by The Roanoke Times, 1979, subsequently featured by Harry Reasoner in a CBS 60 Minutes report on the company engaged in deceptive sales practices, whose officers were later sentenced to federal prison. The Roanoke Times was awarded the Virginia Press Association's W. S. Copeland Award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service, its highest, for the investigation. The award was named after one of the prior owners of the Roanoke Times, Walter Scott Copeland, but was later retitled the "Virginia Press Association Award for Journalistic Integrity and Community Service" to distance itself from its namesake.[5]
* The November 4, 1985, flood that caused extensive damage around Roanoke and left 10 people dead.
* The September 22, 2000, shooting at the Backstreet Cafe in downtown Roanoke motivated by the assailant's hatred of the establishment's gay and lesbian clientele.
* The April 16, 2007, shooting at Virginia Tech, which claimed 32 lives.
* The February, 2008 resignation of Roanoke City councilman Alfred Dowe.[6] Dowe resigned after The Roanoke Times obtained documents showing that he billed taxpayers twice for some of the nearly $15,000 he spent in 2007 on meals and travel.
* The Aug. 26, 2015, on-air murders of WDBJ-TV journalists Alison Parker and Adam Ward.

## Notable writers, columnists and editors

[edit]

* Bill Brill, writer and columnist 1956-1991, sports editor 1960-1991
* Beth Macy, reporter 1989-2014

## Popular features and columns

[edit]

* Arts & Extras, arts and culture column by Mike Allen (2009 - 2021)[7]
* Cut 'N' Scratch, music feature by Tad Dickens (2007-)[8]
* McFarling Journal, sports column by Aaron McFarling (2004-)[9]
* Paparazzi, event photo feature by various contributors[10]
* Shoptimist, shopping feature by Rebecca Holland (2011-2014)[11] Stephanie Ogilvie (2014-2016)[12]
* Style Street, fashion feature by David Verde (2011-2014)[13]
* Weather Journal, weather column by Kevin Myatt (2003-)[14]

## Awards

[edit]

* 2007 Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Award for General Excellence, Class III[15]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ Lee Enterprises. "Form 10-K". investors.lee.net. Retrieved February 29, 2024.
2. ^ Ralph Berrier Jr. "Changing Times: 125 years at The Roanoke Times". Roanoke Times. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
3. ^ Matt Chittum (May 30, 2013). "Steady ownership has marked The Roanoke Times' history". Retrieved June 5, 2013.
4. ^ John Reid Blackwell (May 31, 2013). "Berkshire Hathaway buys The Roanoke Times". Richmond Times-Dispatch. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
5. ^ Smith, J. David. "Walter Scott Copeland (1856–1928)". Encyclopedia Virginia. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
6. ^ Hammack, Laurence (February 24, 2008). "Dowe resigns over travel expenses". The Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on November 21, 2013.
7. ^ "User". Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
8. ^ "User". Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
9. ^ "User". Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
10. ^ "Paparazzi | The Roanoke Times". roanoke.mycapture.com. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
11. ^ Times, Rebecca Holland | The Roanoke. "Shoptimist: Rebecca says farewell, previews the weekend". Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
12. ^ Times, Stephanie Ogilvie | Special to The Roanoke. "So long, farewell ..." Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
13. ^ Times, David Verde | Special to The Roanoke. "Farewell for now..." Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
14. ^ "User". Roanoke Times. Retrieved May 2, 2017.
15. ^ "Winners of 2007 Missouri Lifestyle Journalism Awards Announced". University of Missouri. Retrieved November 24, 2018.

## External links

[edit]

* Official website

* v
* t
* e

Berkshire Hathaway

Board of
directors|

* Warren Buffett
* Greg Abel
* Howard Graham Buffett
* Susan Decker
* David Gottesman
* Ajit Jain
* Ronald Olson
* Walter Scott Jr.

Predecessors|

* Valley Falls Company
* Berkshire Fine Spinning Associates
* Hathaway Manufacturing Company

Insurance|

* GEICO
* BoatUS

| Berkshire Hathaway
Primary Group|

* Alleghany Corporation
* RSUI
* CapSpecialty
* Berkshire Hathaway Direct
* Berkshire Hathaway Homestate Companies
* Kansas Bankers Surety Company
* Berkshire Hathaway Specialty Insurance
* Central States Indemnity
* GUARD Insurance
* MedPro Group
* MLMIC
* National Indemnity Company
* Berkshire Hathaway Assurance

|

Berkshire Hathaway
Reinsurance Group|

* Alleghany Corporation
* TransRe
* Berkshire Hathaway Life
* Gen Re

Railroad|

* BNSF

BH Energy|

* AltaLink
* BHE Pipeline Group
* BHE GT&S
* Kern River Gas Transmission Company
* Northern Natural Gas
* BHE Renewables
* HomeServices of America
* Edina Realty
* Long & Foster
* RealtySouth
* MidAmerican Energy Company
* Northern Powergrid
* NV Energy
* PacifiCorp

Manufacturing|

| Industrial
products|

* CTB International
* Meyn
* International Metalworking Companies
* ISCAR Metalworking
* TaeguTec
* Tungaloy
* LiquidPower Specialty Products
* Lubrizol
* Marmon
* Campbell Hausfeld
* Marmon-Herrington
* Procor
* Union Tank Car Company
* Ginsu
* World Book Encyclopedia
* Precision Castparts Corp.
* Carlton Forge Works
* Special Metals
* Timet
* Wyman-Gordon
* W&W

|

Building
Products|

* Acme Brick
* Benjamin Moore & Co.
* Clayton Homes
* Johns Manville
* MiTek
* Shaw Industries

Consumer
Products|

| RVs|

* Forest River

|

Apparel|

* Fechheimers
* Fruit of the Loom
* BVD
* Russell Athletic
* Spalding
* Vanity Fair Brands
* Exquisite Form
* Vassarette
* Garan

Footwear|

* BH Shoe Holdings
* H. H. Brown
* Double-H Boots
* Justin Brands
* Chippewa Boots
* Justin Boots
* Nocona Boots
* Tony Lama Boots
* Brooks Sports

Other|

* Duracell
* Jazwares
* Squishmallows
* Larson-Juhl
* Richline Group

Service and
Retailing Businesses|

| Services|

* Affordable Housing Partners
* Business Wire
* Charter Brokerage
* CORT Business Services
* FlightSafety International
* International Dairy Queen
* Dairy Queen
* Orange Julius
* IPS
* McLane
* NetJets
* TTI
* Mouser Electronics
* WPLG
* XTRA Lease

|

Retailing|

| Auto|

* Berkshire Hathaway Automotive

|

Furniture|

* Jordan's Furniture
* Nebraska Furniture Mart
* RC Willey Home Furnishings
* Star Furniture

Jewelry|

* Ben Bridge Jeweler
* Borsheims
* Helzberg Diamonds

Other|

* Louis
* Oriental Trading Company
* The Pampered Chef
* Pilot Flying J
* See's Candies

Major public
company ownership
positions|

* American Express (18%)
* Apple (6%)
* Bank of America (12%)
* Coca-Cola Company (10%)
* DaVita (32%)
* Kraft Heinz (27%)
* Moody's (13%)
* RH (9%)

Related|

* Oliver Chace
* Charlie Munger
* Poor Charlie's Almanack
* Berkshire Hathaway Media
* Blue Chip Stamps
* Scott Fetzer
* Wesco Financial
* Owned assets
* Becoming Warren Buffett

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Daily newspapers in Virginia

* Bristol Herald Courier (Bristol)
* Culpeper Star-Exponent (Culpeper)
* Daily News-Record (Harrisonburg)
* Daily Press (Newport News)
* The Daily Progress (Charlottesville)
* Danville Register & Bee (Danville)
* The Free Lance–Star (Fredericksburg)
* Martinsville Bulletin (Martinsville)
* The News & Advance (Lynchburg)
* The News Leader (Staunton)
* The News Virginian (Waynesboro)
* The Northern Virginia Daily (Strasburg)
* The Progress-Index (Petersburg)
* Richmond Times-Dispatch (Richmond)
* The Roanoke Times (Roanoke)
* The Southwest Times (Pulaski)
* Suffolk News-Herald (Suffolk)
* USA Today (McLean)
* The Virginian-Pilot (Norfolk)
* The Winchester Star (Winchester)

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