With its Kaplan education unit more than counterbalancing the slump in ad revenue at its flagship newspaper, the Washington Post Co. has managed to swing to profitability in the second quarter, reporting a 2 percent increase in its year-on-year revenue.

Going by the second-quarter earnings report released by the company on Friday, its net income stood at $11.4 million on $1.13 billion revenue; as compared to the year-before figures of a $2.7 million loss on $1.11 billion in revenue.

While The Post's Kaplan education unit contributed a majority - as much as 58 percent - of its parent company's second quarter revenue; the newspaper division's contribution to the quarterly revenue was 15 percent.

The second-quarter revenue at the robust Kaplan unit increased 13 percent to $649.3 million, vis-a-vis the same quarter earlier year figures; the company's total newspaper publishing revenue plunged 14 percent to $168.8 million. Specifically, while Cable One revenue increased 4 percent; the revenues at the company's six television stations and its magazine division fell 20 percent and 27 percent respectively.

Nonetheless, the 20 percent fall in the second-quarter print-advertising revenue, reported by The Post, marked a significant improvement over the 33 percent first-quarter decline in ad revenue.

The Post's daily circulation, which declined 1.5 percent in 2009 first half, currently stands at 622,700, with its Sunday circulation being 858,100.