Significant Transactions	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2017
Significan Transactions [Abstract]
Significant Transactions	6. SIGNIFICANT TRANSACTIONS FCC Auction for Broadcast Spectrum During the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2017, the Company recognized revenue of $263.9 million related to its participation in the FCC auction for broadcast spectrum. This revenue reflects the relinquishment of the Company’s permanent spectrum usage rights related to four television stations: WMDO-CD serving the Washington, D.C. market, WJAL-TV serving the Hagerstown, Maryland market, KSMS-TV serving the Monterey-Salinas, California market, and WUVN-TV serving the Hartford, Connecticut market. The proceeds of the auction were deposited into the account of a qualified intermediary to comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 requirements to execute a like-kind exchange and are reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as “Restricted cash” as of September 30, 2017. The Company also recorded an expense of $12.1 million during the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2017 to account for the write-off of the carrying value of spectrum usage rights surrendered. This expense is classified as “Cost of revenue – television (spectrum usage rights)” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The FCC has allowed auction participants up to six months after the relinquishment of their permanent spectrum usage rights to cease broadcasting. The company has treated this usage period as a sale-leaseback transaction in accordance with ASC 840-40 and recorded lease expense based on the fair market value. WJAL-TV In connection with the FCC auction for broadcast spectrum, in the second quarter of 2017 the Company exercised its rights under a channel sharing agreement to relocate its television station WJAL-TV serving the Hagerstown, Maryland market in exchange for payment from the Company of approximately $32.6 million. During the third quarter of 2017, the Company completed this relocation of television station WJAL-TV to the Washington, D.C. market.

6. SIGNIFICANT TRANSACTIONS

FCC Auction for Broadcast Spectrum

During the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2017, the Company recognized revenue of $263.9 million related to its participation in the FCC auction for broadcast spectrum. This revenue reflects the relinquishment of the Company’s permanent spectrum usage rights related to four television stations: WMDO-CD serving the Washington, D.C. market, WJAL-TV serving the Hagerstown, Maryland market, KSMS-TV serving the Monterey-Salinas, California market, and WUVN-TV serving the Hartford, Connecticut market. The proceeds of the auction were deposited into the account of a qualified intermediary to comply with Internal Revenue Code Section 1031 requirements to execute a like-kind exchange and are reflected in the Company’s Consolidated Balance Sheets as “Restricted cash” as of September 30, 2017. The Company also recorded an expense of $12.1 million during the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2017 to account for the write-off of the carrying value of spectrum usage rights surrendered. This expense is classified as “Cost of revenue – television (spectrum usage rights)” on the Consolidated Statements of Operations. The FCC has allowed auction participants up to six months after the relinquishment of their permanent spectrum usage rights to cease broadcasting. The company has treated this usage period as a sale-leaseback transaction in accordance with ASC 840-40 and recorded lease expense based on the fair market value.

WJAL-TV

In connection with the FCC auction for broadcast spectrum, in the second quarter of 2017 the Company exercised its rights under a channel sharing agreement to relocate its television station WJAL-TV serving the Hagerstown, Maryland market in exchange for payment from the Company of approximately $32.6 million. During the third quarter of 2017, the Company completed this relocation of television station WJAL-TV to the Washington, D.C. market.