• It was the best of Time, it was the worst of Time, except without the "best" part: Time Inc.'s circulation records have been subpoenaed by by the U.S. Attorney's office regarding its sponsored sales program, reports Nat Ives at AdAge. Such programs include "magazine subscriptions purchased by a sponsor for distribution either to public places, such as waiting rooms in doctors' offices, or to a targeted group of individuals selected based on the subject matter of the magazines" (per Ives per Time Inc. executive VP Jack Haire). Apparently the Audit Bureau of Circulations has started looking askance at such programs after disqualifying a sponsor earlier this year. Sponsored sales subscriptions can count as "paid" circulation if the sponsor pays at least a penny per subscription. According to Ives, Time Inc. is now planning to switch some sponsored subscriptions from "paid" to "qualified" for the period ending June 30, 2006. Nat Ives and his blue eyes totally make this stuff interesting, by the way. [AdAge]

• Exclusively photograph my baby, one more time: OK! has reportedly scored the rights to the first exclusive photographs of little Sean Preson Federline, offspring to Britney Spears and Kevin Federline. OK! Publisher Richard Desmond says so; EIC Sarah Ivens won't confirm either way; Simon Dumenco will probably wait to get his Britney fix from another publication. [MSNBC]

• The Gray Lady, in glossy pinks and yellows: Us Weekly executive editor Michael Steele says of his mag: "We want to be the paper of record when it comes to celebrity news." EIC Janice Min says that Us Weekly's core reader is "the cool girl" -- and the cool girl is 31! That made us happy, because someday, we'll be 31.* [WaPo]

• Glory Days: Today marks the final edition of the Birmingham Post-Herald, where former NYT executive editor Howell Raines got his start back in '64. The paper's paid circulation had dwindled to about 7,500 copies, and publisher E.W. Scripps "was left with no choice but to face economic realities." Seems to be a theme these days. [Huntsville Times]

• No kidding, says Jon Friedman. [MarketWatch]

• Yesterday's predicted Alessandra Stanley correction, today!

• We hear...that our boss' name is spelled "Touby." Nonetheless Page Six is otherwise correct: Laurel, the Post's own Keith Kelly, and Martha Stewart publicity director Susan Magrino are indeed creating all sorts of buzz this morning on a panel moderated by Glamour EIC Cindi Leive on how to create buzz in magazines. Also sharing the stage: the very buzzy New York EIC Adam Moss (publishing people's salaries definitely helps).[NYP]

• I'm not here on business, baby, I'm only here for fun: For the diehards. Happy birthday.

*Sometimes, Fishbowl lies.