Acquisitions and Dispositions	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2014
Acquisitions And Dispositions [Abstract]
Acquisitions and Dispositions	ACQUISITIONS, DISPOSITIONS AND EXCHANGES Acquisitions. In the first six months of 2014, the Company acquired six businesses included in other businesses and in its education division totaling $133.5 million; the purchase price allocation comprised goodwill, other intangible assets, property, plant and equipment, and other current assets on a preliminary basis. In the first six months of 2013, the Company acquired two small businesses included in other businesses; the purchase price allocation mostly comprised goodwill and other intangible assets. On April 1, 2014, Celtic Healthcare acquired VNA-TIP Healthcare, a provider of home health and hospice services in Missouri and Illinois. On May 30, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of Joyce/Dayton Corp., a Dayton, OH-based manufacturer of screw jacks and other linear motion systems. The operating results of VNA-TIP and Joyce 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. On July 3, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of an 80% interest in Residential Healthcare Group, Inc., the parent company of Residential Home Health and Residential Hospice, leading providers of skilled home health care and hospice services in Michigan and Illinois. The operating results of Residential will be included in other businesses beginning in the third quarter of 2014. Dispositions. On October 1, 2013, the Company completed the sale of most of its newspaper publishing businesses. The publishing businesses sold include The Washington Post, Express, The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Greater Washington Publishing, Fairfax County Times and El Tiempo Latino and related websites (Publishing Subsidiaries). In March 2013, the Company completed the sale of certain assets of The Herald, a daily and Sunday newspaper headquartered in Everett, WA. Exchanges. On June 30, 2014, the Company and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. completed a previously announced transaction in which Berkshire acquired a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company that included, among other things, WPLG, a Miami-based television station, 2,107 Class A Berkshire shares and 1,278 Class B Berkshire shares owned by Graham Holdings and $327.7 million in cash, in exchange for 1,620,190 shares of Graham Holdings Class B common stock owned by Berkshire Hathaway (Berkshire exchange transaction). As a result, income from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2014 includes a $266.7 million gain from the sale of the Berkshire Hathaway shares, and income from discontinued operations for the second quarter of 2014 includes a $375.0 million gain from the WPLG exchange. The pre-tax gain of $266.7 million related to the disposition of the Berkshire shares was not subject to income tax as the Berkshire exchange transaction qualifies as a tax-free distribution. The lower effective tax rate for income from continuing operations for the first six months of 2014 of 23.5% primarily resulted from this tax-free transaction. As discussed above, this exchange transaction includes significant noncash investing and financing activities. On the date of exchange, the fair value of the Berkshire Class A and B shares was $400.3 million and the fair value of WPLG was determined to be $438.0 million. In total, the Company recorded an increase in treasury stock of $1,165.4 million in the second quarter of 2014 in connection with the Berkshire exchange transaction. Consequently, the Company’s income from continuing operations excludes these sold or exchanged businesses, which have been reclassified to discontinued operations, net of tax (see Note 2).

ACQUISITIONS, DISPOSITIONS AND EXCHANGES

Acquisitions. In the first six months of 2014, the Company acquired six businesses included in other businesses and in its education division totaling $133.5 million; the purchase price allocation comprised goodwill, other intangible assets, property, plant and equipment, and other current assets on a preliminary basis. In the first six months of 2013, the Company acquired two small businesses included in other businesses; the purchase price allocation mostly comprised goodwill and other intangible assets.

On April 1, 2014, Celtic Healthcare acquired VNA-TIP Healthcare, a provider of home health and hospice services in Missouri and Illinois. On May 30, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of Joyce/Dayton Corp., a Dayton, OH-based manufacturer of screw jacks and other linear motion systems. The operating results of VNA-TIP and Joyce 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.

On July 3, 2014, the Company completed its acquisition of an 80% interest in Residential Healthcare Group, Inc., the parent company of Residential Home Health and Residential Hospice, leading providers of skilled home health care and hospice services in Michigan and Illinois. The operating results of Residential will be included in other businesses beginning in the third quarter of 2014.

Dispositions. On October 1, 2013, the Company completed the sale of most of its newspaper publishing businesses. The publishing businesses sold include The Washington Post, Express, The Gazette Newspapers, Southern Maryland Newspapers, Greater Washington Publishing, Fairfax County Times and El Tiempo Latino and related websites (Publishing Subsidiaries).

In March 2013, the Company completed the sale of certain assets of The Herald, a daily and Sunday newspaper headquartered in Everett, WA.

Exchanges. On June 30, 2014, the Company and Berkshire Hathaway Inc. completed a previously announced transaction in which Berkshire acquired a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company that included, among other things, WPLG, a Miami-based television station, 2,107 Class A Berkshire shares and 1,278 Class B Berkshire shares owned by Graham Holdings and $327.7 million in cash, in exchange for 1,620,190 shares of Graham Holdings Class B common stock owned by Berkshire Hathaway (Berkshire exchange transaction). As a result, income from continuing operations for the second quarter of 2014 includes a $266.7 million gain from the sale of the Berkshire Hathaway shares, and income from discontinued operations for the second quarter of 2014 includes a $375.0 million gain from the WPLG exchange.

The pre-tax gain of $266.7 million related to the disposition of the Berkshire shares was not subject to income tax as the Berkshire exchange transaction qualifies as a tax-free distribution. The lower effective tax rate for income from continuing operations for the first six months of 2014 of 23.5% primarily resulted from this tax-free transaction.

As discussed above, this exchange transaction includes significant noncash investing and financing activities. On the date of exchange, the fair value of the Berkshire Class A and B shares was $400.3 million and the fair value of WPLG was determined to be $438.0 million. In total, the Company recorded an increase in treasury stock of $1,165.4 million in the second quarter of 2014 in connection with the Berkshire exchange transaction.

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