NEW YORK (CNN) - AOL Time Warner is not considering the idea of spinning off America Online, the company's popular Internet service provider, a company spokesman said Tuesday.

AOL Time Warner spokesman Ed Adler told CNN that "as we have said all along, the company is not spinning off AOL, but is focused on returning AOL to a growth track."

When asked about the New York Times report that Steve Case -- formerly AOL Time Warner's chairman -- had made comments to two top executives which indicated he was open to a spinoff of America Online from AOL Time Warner, Adler said, "there's nothing to it."

Citing two unnamed senior officials who have spoken with Case, the Times reported that the former executive has privately spoken favorably about spinning off the company's America Online unit.

America Online was billed as the growth driver for AOL Time Warner but has become something of a weak link as it faces weak online advertising and sluggish demand for its core dial-up Internet service, the New York Times reported.

Its poor results are seen as a factor in the 57 percent fall in AOL Time Warner's shares since AOL bought Time Warner for $103.5 billion in stock in January 2001.

Case has publicly defended the idea of keeping the America Online assets intact in the face of speculation of a spin-off. In an interview with Reuters this month, Case said the board should give company executives time to succeed before considering a spinoff of the assets.

AOL Time Warner (AOL: up $0.29 to $15.00, Research, Estimates) is the parent company of CNN and CNN/Money.  

--from staff and wire reports