7 . ▁Not ▁only ▁had ▁it ▁l angu ished ▁in ▁the ▁ratings ▁during ▁its ▁second ▁ten ure ▁with ▁ABC , ▁but ▁it ▁now ▁faced ▁having ▁to ▁ac quire ▁an ▁additional ▁ 1 6 ▁hours ▁of ▁programming ▁per ▁day — a ▁significant ▁amount ▁even ▁for ▁an ▁owner ▁with ▁Media ▁General ' s ▁wealth ▁and ▁resources . ▁With ▁the ▁pressure ▁off ▁to ▁comp ete ▁in ▁full ▁with ▁the ▁market ' s ▁larger ▁stations ▁and ▁no ▁longer ▁having ▁to ▁maintain ▁a ▁news ▁operation ▁with ▁little ▁view ership , ▁however , ▁W J W B ▁took ▁advantage ▁of ▁the ▁opportunity . ▁For ▁most ▁of ▁The ▁W B ' s ▁run , ▁W J W B ▁consist ently ▁ranked ▁as ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁network ' s ▁highest - r ated ▁affili ates . ▁While ▁W J W B ▁prosper ed ▁as ▁a ▁W B ▁affili ate , ▁W J XX ▁never ▁recovered ▁from ▁its ▁r ushed ▁sign - on . ▁All brit ton ▁gave ▁up ▁and ▁sold ▁the ▁station ▁to ▁W TL V ' s ▁owner , ▁G ann ett , ▁in ▁late ▁ 1 9 9 9 . ▁ ▁C W ▁affili ation ▁and ▁sale ▁to ▁N ex star ▁On ▁January ▁ 2 4 , ▁ 2 0 0 6 , ▁the ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁unit ▁of ▁Time ▁Warner ▁and ▁CBS ▁Corporation ▁announced ▁that ▁the ▁two ▁companies ▁would ▁shut ▁down ▁The ▁W B ▁and ▁UP N ▁and ▁combine ▁the ▁networks ' ▁respective ▁programming ▁to ▁create ▁a ▁new ▁" fif th " ▁network ▁called ▁The ▁C W