By Media Ink, NEW YORK POST

Yes, Virginia, Media Ink is still documenting the high drama and intrigue surrounding the Conde Nast Christmas bash.

"We thought you had forgotten all about us," groused one attendee when Media Ink called yesterday.

The seating chart at the annual bash has become carefully scrutinized by media watchers for the ins and outs of the byzantine magazine empire.

Reticent chairman S.I. Newhouse Jr. told the lunchers he "doesn't like to single out individual titles," but nevertheless felt compelled to thank the New Yorker for "posting a profit."

In the closely held family-run empire, that passes for a wild insight into fiscal dealings. No surprise, then, that New Yorker publisher David Carey was seated at the Si's left hand, while New Yorker editor-in-chief David Remnick lunched with Conde Nast CEO Steve Florio at table No. 2.

Sources say the magazine will show a profit of about $1.2 million this year. It may only be a 1 percent profit margin on revenue of about $100 million, but it is still a big reason to rejoice, considering that the last profit was posted in 1984 - the year before the Newhouse family bought the magazine.

Steve Florio in his toast mentioned that eight of the 15 magazines in the Conde Nast empire company "made their numbers" in what even the eternally optimistic CEO conceded was a "tough year."

In addition to the New Yorker, the list included Glamour, Self, GQ, Vanity Fair, Conde Nast Traveler, Allure and Lucky.

Conspicuously absent from the list was the corporate flagship Vogue. Editor-in-chief Anna Wintour still got to sit with Steve Florio, but younger brother Tom Florio, the Vogue publisher, was only booked at table No. 3.

Media Industry Newsletter is showing that Vogue will report an 8.33 percent drop in ad pages this year, to 2,893, after breaking 3,000 a year ago.

Vanity Fair editor-in-chief Graydon Carter is also in good graces and was sitting with Si. The top table was rounded out this year by Modern Bride editor-in-chief Antonia Van Der Meer, who was this year's designated rookie at the boss' table.

Lucky publisher Alexandra "Sandy" Golinkin also made the cut - thanks to the astounding strides the magazine has made since its launch two years ago - as did perennial Si favorite Linda Wells, Allure editor.

The gathering also featured a smattering of executives who technically are not part of the Conde Nast empire but instead toil for other wings of the Newhouse family's Advance Publications holding company.

Mary Berner, the CEO of Fairchild, got a chance to sit with Steve Florio, the man who hired her at Glamour years earlier. But it is not clear whether she enjoyed the experience - she led the charge for the door almost as soon as the last toast was over.

This year's Siberia was inhabited by Walter Anderson, the president of Parade Publications Inc., which virtually mints money for the Newhouse family. He was sitting with Jill Bright, a human resources executive who people usually see about their severance packages.

Patrick McCarthy, editorial director of Fairchild, was invited to sit with the executive whom many regard as the heir apparent to the family empire: Steve Newhouse, Si's nephew and for the moment the head of new media and the Golf Digest Cos. Conde Nast executive vice president Richard Beckman and Lucky launch editor Kim France also broke bread at the up-and-comers table with Steve Newhouse.

Si himself left the Four Seasons gathering quickly to jet off to Europe for a long holiday break. Don't expect him back until early January.

Steve and Tom Florio, meanwhile, will be lunching together tomorrow at their annual "Italian Guys" lunch at Da Silvano.

GQ publisher Ron Galotti is the other founding Guy. Sources say it was at last year's Italian Guys luncheon that Steve Florio sealed the deal to bring Galotti back into the Conde Nast fold. Galotti at the time was still toiling with Tina Brown at Talk.

Non-Italians Richard Beckman and GQ editor-in-chief Art Cooper will also be on hand with the Guys this year. Two first-timers will make the scene as well: Lou Cona, the Vanity Fair publisher, and Giulio Capua, the new publisher of Gourmet.