▁before ▁expand ing ▁to ▁a ▁bro ader ▁library ▁of ▁lic ensed ▁r er uns . ▁R T N ' s ▁initial ▁success ▁was ▁dent ed ▁by ▁its ▁owner ' s ▁financial ▁collapse ▁and ▁further ▁difficulties ▁per tain ing ▁to ▁its ▁successor , ▁current ▁owner ▁Lu ken ▁Communic ations . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁popular ▁and ▁widely ▁distributed ▁network ▁that ▁uses ▁digital ▁sub ch annels ▁as ▁its ▁primary ▁form ▁of ▁distribution ▁is ▁Me TV , ▁a ▁classic ▁television ▁network ▁originally ▁launched ▁by ▁station ▁owner ▁We ig el ▁Broadcast ing ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 ▁as ▁a ▁programming ▁format ▁on ▁one ▁of ▁its ▁flags hip ▁television ▁stations ▁in ▁Chicago , ▁W FB T - CA ▁( now ▁W W ME - CD ), ▁and ▁evol ved ▁into ▁a ▁national ▁network ▁in ▁November ▁ 2 0 1 0 ; ▁Me - TV ▁now ▁has ▁affili ations ▁with ▁primary ▁channels ▁in ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁mark ets ▁( W J LP ▁in ▁the ▁New ▁York ▁City ▁market , ▁W DP N - TV ▁in ▁Philadelphia ▁and ▁Del aware , ▁W BB Z - TV ▁in ▁Buff alo ). ▁Both ▁Me TV ▁and ▁its ▁most ▁prominent ▁rival , ▁Trib une ▁Broadcast ing - owned ▁An ten na ▁TV , ▁popular ized ▁the ▁format ▁for ▁mult ic ast ing ▁that ▁re lies ▁on ▁arch ived ▁programming . ▁This ▁TV ▁( also ▁part - owned ▁by ▁Trib une ▁and ▁co - f ounded ▁by ▁We ig el ▁with ▁Metro - G old w yn - M ayer ) ▁used ▁a ▁similar