• The New York Times, Monday, July 21, 2008 10:45 AM

Experts suggest that Condé Nast, by choice or necessity, may tighten its belt in the years to come--and risk losing some of its cachet. They ask: Will the successors of chairman Si Newhouse, 80, have his willingness to absorb years of losses on magazines they consider promising? In addition, analysts question whether the luxury goods market that supports the company can continue to defy gravity.

CEO Charles H. Townsend responds that the future "certainly will require everyone to take a harder look at profitability. But we are the top-end publisher and that has served us well and it will stand the test," he adds. "Painting cheap stripes on Condé Nast and saying we're going to serve up Condé Nast Lite would be a huge mistake."

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