So is this the beginning of the end for Big Brother now that the celebrity version has been given a rest for 2008?
Somehow I doubt it: for one thing it has plans for some kind of "experimental" Big Brother spinoff on digital channel E4 in the new year.
What Channel 4 did today was offer a sop to those critics who have been getting on its case about too much lowbrow programming.
It also demonstrated a bit of contrition after this year's racism row, which generated a lot of bad publicity, as well as a stinging rebuke from Ofcom.
In its 25th anniversary year Channel 4 needs to invoke a bit of the high-minded Jeremy Isaacs spirit and maintain its status as a serious, respectable public service broadcaster.
Otherwise it could risk its case for support when an estimated £100m funding crisis starts to bite at the time of digital switchover in 2012.
But it can't go so far as to ditch Big Brother, when the Endemol show is so important financially.
And for all its many detractors, Big Brother remains very popular: its ratings have held up well this year, despite the show being all but deserted by the chattering classes and exciting very little media interest outside the Daily Star.
Don't be surprised if it remains a Channel 4 staple for some time yet.
