DANVILLE, Va. – The Danville Register and Bee and several other newspapers in the area will soon be owned by a new company.

Lee Enterprises is purchasing 30 newspapers from BH Media Group, including the Danville Register and Bee, the Martinsville Bulletin, the Lynchburg News & Advance and the Roanoke Times. Lee Enterprises has managed the newspapers for the last 18 months.

The sale does not include real estate owned by the papers and Lee Enterprises will rent the property.

The acquisition was announced Wednesday. Lee’s Chairman, Mary Junck, called the buy “a compelling and transformative transaction for Lee,” which will now own and operate 81 daily newspapers. Lee Enterprises currently owns 50 newspapers.