Reader's Digest Index (With Apologies to Harper's Magazine)

According to several reports, Reader's Digest Association is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. It's been a rocky few years since the company was purchased and taken private by an investor group led by Ripplewood Holdings, LLC in 2007: The magazine has changed editors, laid off staff, and plunged deep into debt.

According to a Bloomberg report, "The company will use a 30-day grace period to delay a $27 million interest payment due today on its 9 percent notes maturing in 2017 to negotiate the final terms of the restructuring with its lenders."

But who knows if that will save the company, which is hoping its debt can be restructured to $550 million. Here now, with a nod to Harper's Magazine's signature front-of-book feature, is a look at Reader's Digest's current predicament.

Year Reader's Digest was founded: 1922.

Global Editions: 42.

Savings off the newsstand price for subscriptions sold on RD.com: 81 percent.

Rate base, as of 2007: 8,000,000.

Cost of a full-page, 4 color ad: $241,800.

Cost of Reader's Digest Association when acquired by Ripplewood Holdings in March 2007: $2.4 billion.

Cost per share when purchased: $17.

Months until Jackie Leo, editor of the flagship publication was replaced after the sale: 9.

Year Leo had been hired: 2001.

Number of "Most Intriguing People" new editor Peggy Northrop shared that title with from Magazine Industry News (MIN): 21.

Year of that honor: 2003.

Current debt: $1.6 billion.

Amount of interest payment owed today: $27 million.

Size, in acres, of Reader's Digest corporate campus in Chappaqua, NY: 114.

Salary of CEO Mary Berner in 2008: $1,088,46

Number of US employees let go in 2009: 300.

Employees worldwide: 3,500.

Chapter by which its parent company is filing to protect itself: 11.

Percentage it hopes to reduce its debt: 75.

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Matt Haber is the media blogger for Portfolio.com.