Operating income for the company's magazine division in the quarter dropped 12.9 percent, to $61 million.

The company's magazine division showed a 29.8 percent increase in operating profit in the second quarter.

The magazine division reported a 31 percent increase in operating profit, to $9.7 million.

Time's magazine division allows its travel-weary senior managers to fly first class, if they so choose.

But does it make sense to alter a magazine division that is thriving so mightily?

Its online retailing, music and magazine divisions have also recently done the same.

Profits at the magazine division dropped by 14 percent, to $85 million from $99 million.

There has also been some ferment at the company's generally successful magazine division.

Bloomberg also has a magazine division, but most of its titles are sent, free, to a limited group of people.

An executive at the Times company's magazine division said that the asking price for the four magazines was around $400 million.