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ITV looks set to announce a record fall in profits next week when it publishes its annual results for last year.
It is believed that executives from the station have taken their ideas for a three-way merger to the government.
An ITV spokesman said the broadcaster had come up with the proposals in response to the government's call for 'blue-sky thinking' on media ownership.
"Every broadcaster, along with the government and Ofcom, is therefore seeking radical solutions to the problem of how to provide sustainable, guaranteed public service competition to the BBC," commented the spokesman.
Dawn Airey, the chief executive of Channel Five, recently said she believes the broadcaster will be forced to merge with another channel soon.
