Acquisitions and Dispositions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
Acquisitions And Dispositions [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Dispositions [Text Block]	4. ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSITIONS Acquisitions. In the first nine months of 2013, the Company acquired five small businesses included in other businesses and in its education division; the purchase price allocation mostly comprised goodwill and other intangible assets on a preliminary basis. In the first nine months of 2012, the Company acquired four small businesses included in its education division and in other businesses; the purchase price allocation mostly comprised goodwill and other intangible assets. The assets and liabilities of the companies acquired have been recorded at their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition. On August 1, 2013, the Company completed its acquisition of Forney Corporation, a global supplier of products and systems that control and monitor combustion processes in electric utility and industrial applications. The operating results of Forney are included in other businesses. In the second quarter of 2013, Kaplan purchased the remaining 15% noncontrolling interest in Kaplan China; this additional interest was accounted for as an equity transaction. In September 2012, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Celtic Healthcare, Inc. (Celtic), a provider of home healthcare and hospice services in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions. The transaction closed on November 5, 2012. The operating results of Celtic are included in other businesses. Dispositions. On August 5, 2013, the Company announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell its Publishing Subsidiaries that together conducted most of the Company's publishing business and related services, including publishing The Washington Post, Express, The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Fairfax County Times and El Tiempo Latino and related websites. Slate magazine, TheRoot.com and Foreign Policy are not part of the transaction and will remain with The Washington Post Company, as will the WaPo Labs and SocialCode businesses, the Company's interest in Classified Ventures and certain real estate assets, including the headquarters building in downtown Washington, DC. On October 1, 2013, the Company completed the sale. In March 2013, the Company completed the sale of The Herald, a daily and Sunday newspaper headquartered in Everett, WA. The Herald was previously reported in the newspaper publishing division. The Company divested its interested in Avenue100 Media Solutions in July 2012, which was previously reported in other businesses. Kaplan completed the sales of Kidum in August 2012, EduNeering in April 2012 and Kaplan Learning Technologies in February 2012, which were part of the Kaplan Ventures division. Consequently, the Company's income from continuing operations excludes these sold businesses, which have been reclassified to discontinued operations, net of tax (see Note 2).

Acquisitions and Dispositions

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

Acquisitions And Dispositions [Abstract]

Acquisitions and Dispositions [Text Block]

4. ACQUISITIONS AND DISPOSITIONS

Acquisitions. In the first nine months of 2013, the Company acquired five small businesses included in other businesses and in its education division; the purchase price allocation mostly comprised goodwill and other intangible assets on a preliminary basis. In the first nine months of 2012, the Company acquired four small businesses included in its education division and in other businesses; the purchase price allocation mostly comprised goodwill and other intangible assets. The assets and liabilities of the companies acquired have been recorded at their estimated fair values at the date of acquisition.

On August 1, 2013, the Company completed its acquisition of Forney Corporation, a global supplier of products and systems that control and monitor combustion processes in electric utility and industrial applications. The operating results of Forney are included in other businesses.

In the second quarter of 2013, Kaplan purchased the remaining 15% noncontrolling interest in Kaplan China; this additional interest was accounted for as an equity transaction.

In September 2012, the Company entered into a stock purchase agreement to acquire a controlling interest in Celtic Healthcare, Inc. (Celtic), a provider of home healthcare and hospice services in the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions. The transaction closed on November 5, 2012. The operating results of Celtic are included in other businesses.

Dispositions. On August 5, 2013, the Company announced that it had entered into an agreement to sell its Publishing Subsidiaries that together conducted most of the Company's publishing business and related services, including publishing The Washington Post, Express, The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Fairfax County Times and El Tiempo Latino and related websites. Slate magazine, TheRoot.com and Foreign Policy are not part of the transaction and will remain with The Washington Post Company, as will the WaPo Labs and SocialCode businesses, the Company's interest in Classified Ventures and certain real estate assets, including the headquarters building in downtown Washington, DC. On October 1, 2013, the Company completed the sale.

In March 2013, the Company completed the sale of The Herald, a daily and Sunday newspaper headquartered in Everett, WA. The Herald was previously reported in the newspaper publishing division.

The Company divested its interested in Avenue100 Media Solutions in July 2012, which was previously reported in other businesses. Kaplan completed the sales of Kidum in August 2012, EduNeering in April 2012 and Kaplan Learning Technologies in February 2012, which were part of the Kaplan Ventures division.

Consequently, the Company's income from continuing operations excludes these sold businesses, which have been reclassified to discontinued operations, net of tax (see Note 2).