A Washington state company announced on Wednesday its acquisition of four Alaska newspapers, according to the Juneau Empire.

Sound Publishing, based in Everett, Washington, will buy the Empire, Peninsula Clarion in Kenai, Homer News, and Capital City Weekly from newspaper chain GateHouse Media.

Sound Publishing is a subsidiary of British Columbia-based Black Press and has 47 newspaper titles, according to its website.

Joe Leong, publisher of the Empire, said the new ownership will officially take over May 1.

"GateHouse is a huge company in the Lower 48. It's difficult for GateHouse to manage a newspaper so far away," Leong said. With Sound Publishing's business in the Pacific Northwest, he said, Alaska wasn't a far stretch. "We were looking for a publisher that had something in the region."

Sound Publishing President Gloria Fletcher told Empire and Capital City Weekly staff the news Wednesday morning, the Empire reported.

"We understand the value of community journalism," Fletcher said in an interview Wednesday afternoon. The deal will close at the end of April, she said. A sale price was not disclosed.

"We're just getting to know these publications right now," she said when asked what Sound Publishing's plans for the papers are moving forward. "I don't know what the long-term plan might be, other than just to continue to provide good journalism to the audience, both print and digital."

The newspapers changed hands in another deal less than a year ago. In August, Georgia-based Morris Communications announced the sale of the Empire, Homer News and Clarion to GateHouse.