Seattle Times cuts standalone business section... is the Bee's business coverage shrinking, too?

Joining a host of other newspapers -- including the Sacramento Bee and the News & Observer -- The Seattle Times, half owned by McClatchy, has cut its standalone business section.

The Bee folded its business and Metro section into a generic "Our Region" section over the summer. Editor Melanie Sill promised business news wouldn't be cut, though:

Business coverage won't be cut, she says. "In fact, we want to expand it with more news (print and online) and improvements in the Sunday business section."

That was then, this is now. The business pages inside "Our Region" in today's Bee are a measly 3 pages. I didn't see any business news in other sections by Bee reporters today although I'm sure the Bee prints local news stories now and then. As for business news on the Sac Bee web site, time will tell if readers will go there for business news.

And the biggest question: if readers go to the SacBee web site for business news, will the Bee make a profit? (If you have seen the business section at the Sac Bee web site, what do you think? Leave feedback in comments.)