Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 72,078	$ 43,920	$ 18,166	$ 71,618
Trade accounts receivable, net		246,295	265,169
Restricted cash at qualified intermediary		0	119,903
Current deferred tax asset		51,732	55,754
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		36,739	39,098
Total current assets		406,844	523,844
Property and equipment, net		483,581	499,472
Other assets, net		71,290	78,999
Definite lived intangible assets, net		912,487	956,300
Broadcast licenses		1,097,100	1,097,100
Goodwill		1,597,486	1,597,486
Advances to Affiliate		0	0
Advances to and investments in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total assets	[1]	4,568,788	4,753,201
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable		33,293	36,359
Accrued salaries and wages		24,822	36,634
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		108,940	104,092
Current installments of long-term debt		3,404	11,781
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		856	815
Total current liabilities		171,315	189,681
Long-term debt excluding current maturities		2,272,695	2,400,162
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		359,229	364,289
Long-term capital lease obligations		14,436	14,869
Retirement and postretirement plans		202,994	211,264
Other liabilities		35,005	38,034
Total liabilities	[2]	3,055,674	3,218,299
Noncontrolling interests		31,065	34,481
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders (deficit) equity		1,482,049	1,500,421	758,790	736,981
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		4,568,788	4,753,201
Reportable Legal Entities | New Media General
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0	2,388	0	0
Trade accounts receivable, net		0	$ 0
Restricted cash at qualified intermediary
Current deferred tax asset		0	$ 0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		0	0
Total current assets		0	2,388
Property and equipment, net		0	0
Other assets, net		0	0
Definite lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Broadcast licenses		0	0
Goodwill		0	0
Advances to Affiliate		0	2,021
Advances to and investments in consolidated subsidiaries		1,482,049	1,496,012
Total assets		1,482,049	1,500,421
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable		0	0
Accrued salaries and wages		0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		0	0
Current installments of long-term debt		0	0
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		0	0
Total current liabilities		0	0
Long-term debt excluding current maturities		0	0
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		0	0
Long-term capital lease obligations		0	0
Retirement and postretirement plans		0	0
Other liabilities		0	0
Total liabilities		0	0
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders (deficit) equity		1,482,049	1,500,421
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		1,482,049	1,500,421
Reportable Legal Entities | LIN Television Corporation
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		13,962	9,658	0	0
Trade accounts receivable, net		55,161	$ 82,909
Restricted cash at qualified intermediary
Current deferred tax asset		0	$ 3,492
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		7,929	18,724
Total current assets		77,052	114,783
Property and equipment, net		175,014	179,057
Other assets, net		13,946	8,565
Definite lived intangible assets, net		384,620	403,866
Broadcast licenses		0	0
Goodwill		527,077	527,077
Advances to Affiliate		(157,217)	(456,741)
Advances to and investments in consolidated subsidiaries		1,313,747	1,319,033
Total assets		2,334,239	2,095,640
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable		3,642	4,014
Accrued salaries and wages		5,604	9,384
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		27,296	43,901
Current installments of long-term debt		0	0
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		520	441
Total current liabilities		37,062	57,740
Long-term debt excluding current maturities		689,505	291,442
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		73,090	193,293
Long-term capital lease obligations		13,242	13,529
Retirement and postretirement plans		34,785	33,031
Other liabilities		4,506	10,593
Total liabilities		852,190	599,628
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders (deficit) equity		1,482,049	1,496,012
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		2,334,239	2,095,640
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		46,599	27,371	15,856	67,508
Trade accounts receivable, net		175,769	168,862
Restricted cash at qualified intermediary			119,903
Current deferred tax asset		51,692	52,222
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		21,576	11,396
Total current assets		295,636	379,754
Property and equipment, net		304,609	314,534
Other assets, net		55,230	67,961
Definite lived intangible assets, net		483,859	506,619
Broadcast licenses		1,025,800	1,025,800
Goodwill		977,570	977,570
Advances to Affiliate		166,231	456,359
Advances to and investments in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total assets		3,308,935	3,728,597
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable		28,225	31,794
Accrued salaries and wages		18,606	26,536
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		77,372	53,042
Current installments of long-term debt		0	8,218
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		290	303
Total current liabilities		124,493	119,893
Long-term debt excluding current maturities		1,556,670	2,080,570
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		286,877	168,171
Long-term capital lease obligations		1,182	1,312
Retirement and postretirement plans		168,209	178,233
Other liabilities		28,407	22,037
Total liabilities		2,165,838	2,570,216
Noncontrolling interests		0	10,981
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders (deficit) equity		1,143,097	1,147,400
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		3,308,935	3,728,597
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		11,517	4,503	2,310	4,110
Trade accounts receivable, net		15,365	$ 13,398
Restricted cash at qualified intermediary
Current deferred tax asset		40	$ 40
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		7,234	8,978
Total current assets		34,156	26,919
Property and equipment, net		3,958	5,881
Other assets, net		2,114	2,473
Definite lived intangible assets, net		44,008	45,815
Broadcast licenses		71,300	71,300
Goodwill		92,839	92,839
Advances to Affiliate		(9,014)	(1,639)
Advances to and investments in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total assets		239,361	243,588
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable		1,426	551
Accrued salaries and wages		612	714
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		4,272	7,149
Current installments of long-term debt		3,404	3,563
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		46	71
Total current liabilities		9,760	12,048
Long-term debt excluding current maturities		26,520	28,150
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		(738)	2,825
Long-term capital lease obligations		12	28
Retirement and postretirement plans		0	0
Other liabilities		2,092	5,404
Total liabilities		37,646	48,455
Noncontrolling interests		31,065	23,500
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders (deficit) equity		170,650	171,633
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		239,361	243,588
Eliminations
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Trade accounts receivable, net		0	$ 0
Restricted cash at qualified intermediary
Current deferred tax asset		0	$ 0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		0	0
Total current assets		0	0
Property and equipment, net		0	0
Other assets, net		0	0
Definite lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Broadcast licenses		0	0
Goodwill		0	$ 0
Advances to Affiliate		0
Advances to and investments in consolidated subsidiaries		(2,795,796)	$ (2,815,045)
Total assets		(2,795,796)	(2,815,045)
Current liabilities
Trade accounts payable		0	0
Accrued salaries and wages		0	0
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		0	0
Current installments of long-term debt		0	0
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		0	0
Total current liabilities		0	0
Long-term debt excluding current maturities		0	0
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		0	0
Long-term capital lease obligations		0	0
Retirement and postretirement plans		0	0
Other liabilities		0	0
Total liabilities		0	0
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders (deficit) equity		(2,795,796)	(2,815,045)
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		$ (2,795,796)	$ (2,815,045)

[1] Consolidated assets as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $153 million and $151 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. See Note 1 and Note 4.

[2] Consolidated liabilities as of June 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014, include total liabilities of VIEs of $39 million and $43 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the Company, except for certain of the debt, which the Company guarantees. See Note 1 and Note 4.