But neither Ms Brown nor Mr Galotti wanted to speak to The Independent yesterday Her proprieters have been dropping dark hints. Cathleen Black, the chief executive of Hearst Magazines, has for a long time pointedly stayed away from all Tina Brown and Talk-related functions. Her statement of reassurance last week provided little comfort."We are proud of the efforts Tina and Ron have made on behalf of Talk," it said. "The continued rise in ad paging and in circulation reflect a growing acceptance of the magazine though the pace of that growth has been held back by a very tough newsstand and economic climate. That happens to be true of even the most established media properties."We are aware Talk is seeking additional investors for the property. We support those efforts although as of now there has been no change in our relationship with Talk. We, at Hearst, expect we will have a continuing relationship with the magazine."Tales of woe can be found in the editor's office of almost any magazine in New York.

Advertising and newsstand revenues have slumped, and the cost of newsprint and distribution has continued to rise. Conde Nast recently shut down Mademoiselle altogether, and Rolling Stone sacked 60 people, cutting staff by a third. Nobody should be surprised if there is blood on the floor of Talk also.But the viability of Talk has always been a puzzle. The losses last year were reportedly $25m (£17.6m) and Harvey Weinstein, co-founder of Miramax, is said to have invested $40m to keep the venture afloat. At least for Miramax, the monthly provides useful synergy by promoting the studio's stars on the front (see Gwyneth Paltrow in the current issue). For Hearst, the logic for staying the course is less obvious.Editorially, the magazine was viewed as a disappointment, but three major overhauls later it has been getting more favourable reviews Ms Brown sometimes makes headlines with content.

This month's issue has an essay by Chelsea Clinton about the events of 11 September that got media play around the world.But praise has been far more consistent for the publishing arm of the business, Talk Miramax Books. Aside from the book about The Producers, the imprint has recently hit gold with books including Icebound by Dr Jerri Nielsen and Christopher Rice's A Density of Souls. It also scooped the competition, at high cost, by securing the rights to the memoirs of Rudolph Giuliani, the outgoing New York City mayor.Ms Brown's fate probably rests in the hands of Mr Weinstein. Last week, he also felt obliged to say something, if only a few words, about the magazine and Ms Brown.