Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	$ 320,523	$ 154,111	$ 617,257	$ 298,029
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	134,169	50,818	260,045	101,433
Selling, general and administrative expenses	79,051	41,930	159,521	84,262
Amortization of program license rights	12,047	4,947	23,805	9,910
Corporate and other expenses	12,366	7,633	25,017	14,211
Depreciation and amortization	42,618	16,440	82,901	32,635
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	(196)	992	(424)	221
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	3,616	9,314	8,893	14,066
Operating income	36,852	22,037	57,499	41,291
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	29,288	9,616	60,311	19,606
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	1,827	85	2,440	183
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0		0
Other, net	(2,622)	(85)	(5,912)	0
Total other expense	28,493	9,616	56,839	19,789
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	8,359	12,421	660	21,502
Income tax (benefit) expense	3,616	5,529	459	9,171
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	4,743	6,892	201	12,331
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	4,743	6,892	201	12,331
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	3,108	106	5,999	160
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	1,635	6,786	(5,798)	12,171
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	4,743	6,892	201	12,331
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	106	0	160
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	1,635	6,786	(5,798)	12,171
Reportable Legal Entities | New Media General
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	0	0	0	0
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	0	0	0	0
Amortization of program license rights	0	0	0	0
Corporate and other expenses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	0	0	0	0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	0
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(1)	0	0	0
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0		0
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Total other expense	(1)	0	0	0
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	1	0	0	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	1	0	0	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	1,634	0	(5,798)	0
Net income	1,635	0	(5,798)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	1,635	0	(5,798)	0
Other comprehensive income		0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	1,635	0	(5,798)	0
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	1,635	0	(5,798)	0
Reportable Legal Entities | LIN Television Corporation
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	94,258	0	182,476	0
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	40,294	0	77,893	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	22,193	0	45,717	0
Amortization of program license rights	4,363	0	8,541	0
Corporate and other expenses	2,661	0	5,862	0
Depreciation and amortization	15,522	0	29,658	0
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	165	0	129	0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	950	0	2,324	0
Operating income	8,110	0	12,352	0
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	9,555	0	20,205	0
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	763		6,298
Other, net	(4)	0	(86)	0
Total other expense	10,314	0	26,417	0
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(2,204)	0	(14,065)	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	(1,325)	0	(6,188)	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(879)	0	(7,877)	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	2,511	0	2,077	0
Net income	1,632	0	(5,800)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	1,632	0	(5,800)	0
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	1,632	0	(5,800)	0
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	1,632	0	(5,800)	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	216,770	149,442	416,500	289,078
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	88,410	49,165	172,169	98,314
Selling, general and administrative expenses	53,009	39,758	106,227	80,122
Amortization of program license rights	7,250	4,701	14,351	9,357
Corporate and other expenses	9,703	7,558	19,161	14,269
Depreciation and amortization	24,562	16,246	49,234	32,252
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	(361)	992	(553)	221
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	2,666	9,314	6,569	14,066
Operating income	31,531	21,708	49,342	40,477
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	19,325	9,308	39,412	18,989
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	1,827	85	2,440	183
Intercompany income and (expenses)	(949)		(6,716)
Other, net	(118)	(75)	(826)	20
Total other expense	20,085	9,318	34,310	19,192
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	11,446	12,390	15,032	21,285
Income tax (benefit) expense	5,599	5,529	7,873	9,171
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	5,847	6,861	7,159	12,114
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0		0
Net income	5,847	6,861	7,159	12,114
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	(178)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	5,847	6,861	7,337	12,114
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	5,847	6,861	7,159	12,114
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	5,847	6,861	7,337	12,114
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	16,941	4,669	30,683	8,951
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	9,856	1,653	17,398	3,119
Selling, general and administrative expenses	4,152	2,172	8,289	4,140
Amortization of program license rights	434	246	913	553
Corporate and other expenses	2	75	(6)	(58)
Depreciation and amortization	2,534	194	4,009	383
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	0	0	0	0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(37)	329	80	814
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	409	308	694	617
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	186		418
Other, net	(2,500)	(10)	(5,000)	(20)
Total other expense	(1,905)	298	(3,888)	597
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	1,868	31	3,968	217
Income tax (benefit) expense	(658)	0	(1,226)	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	2,526	31	5,194	217
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0		0
Net income	2,526	31	5,194	217
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	3,108	106	6,177	160
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	(582)	(75)	(983)	57
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	2,526	31	5,194	217
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	106	0	160
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	(582)	(75)	(983)	57
Eliminations
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	(7,446)	0	(12,402)	0
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	(4,391)	0	(7,415)	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(303)	0	(712)	0
Amortization of program license rights	0	0	0	0
Corporate and other expenses	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	0	0	0	0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(2,752)	0	(4,275)	0
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	0	0	0	0
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0		0
Other, net	0	0	0	0
Total other expense	0	0	0	0
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(2,752)	0	(4,275)	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(2,752)	0	(4,275)	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(4,145)	0	3,721	0
Net income	(6,897)	0	(554)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	(6,897)	0	(554)	0
Other comprehensive income		0	0	0
Total comprehensive income	(6,897)	0	(554)	0
Other comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	$ (6,897)	$ 0	$ (554)	$ 0