I think the BBC may go down this route:
BBC ONE: Remains unchanged
BBC TWO: Replaces the simulcast of BBC News with content BBC FOUR currently airs.
BBC THREE: Merges with BBC FOUR
BBC FOUR: Gets merged with BBC THREE and airs a mixture of content from both of the previous channels.
Putting all the quips to one side BBC's Three and Four are about as far apart from each other in terms of target audiences and programming as its possible to get. I read on a similar thread regarding ITV and one idea was putting local news onto ITV 3.
Let's examine this in greater detail. Your idea would have BBC 4 content on both BBC 2 and the new "hybrid" BBC 3/4 (For the sake of argument I'll call it BBC Mix).
BBC 4-esque content would effectively have "1 and a half" channels to broadcast on where BBC 3 would be reduced to "half a station"
Where would the watershed be between BBC 3-esque and BBC-4esque programmes on "BBC Mix". Would it be a 50/50 split or would you have "This Country" followed by "Inspector Montalbano"?
I'm not being cruel or disparaging but to my mind such a setup would be inherently unfair to BBC 3 and its viewers as well as being a total mess in terms of who would show what.
Last edited by Ne1L C on 17 May 2020 5:27pm