Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2014
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	$ 96,388	$ 2,819
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(24,050)	(8,372)
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary	119,903	0
Payment/deposit for acquisition of station assets	0	(8,340)
Deferred proceeds related to sale of property	0	24,535
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	691	1,072
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	3,120	0
Receipt of dividend	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0
Payment of capital contributions	0
Other, net and Collateral refunds related to letters of credit	(69)	980
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	99,595	9,875
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings under revolving credit facility		10,000
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement		(10,000)
Repayment of other borrowings	(580)	0
Payment for share repurchases	(18,747)	0
Payment of dividend	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0
Payment for the acquisition of noncontrolling interest	(9,218)	0
Receipt of capital contributions	0
Cash paid for debt modification	(3,425)	0
Other, net	345	(946)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(167,825)	(66,146)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	28,158	(53,452)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	43,920	71,618
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	72,078	18,166
Media General Credit Agreement
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	(135,000)	(64,000)
Shield Media Credit Agreement
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	(1,200)	(1,200)
Eliminations
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary	0
Payment/deposit for acquisition of station assets		0
Deferred proceeds related to sale of property		0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	0
Receipt of dividend	(39,005)
Payments from intercompany borrowings	(26,255)
Payment of capital contributions	3,011
Other, net and Collateral refunds related to letters of credit	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(62,249)	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings under revolving credit facility		0
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement		0
Repayment of other borrowings	0
Payment for share repurchases	0
Payment of dividend	39,005
Payments on intercompany borrowing	26,255
Payment for the acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0
Receipt of capital contributions	(3,011)
Cash paid for debt modification	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	62,249	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Eliminations | Media General Credit Agreement
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Eliminations | Shield Media Credit Agreement
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | New Media General
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	(1,402)	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary	0
Payment/deposit for acquisition of station assets		0
Deferred proceeds related to sale of property		0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	0
Receipt of dividend	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	2,025
Payment of capital contributions	(3,011)
Other, net and Collateral refunds related to letters of credit	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(986)	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings under revolving credit facility		0
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement		0
Repayment of other borrowings	0
Payment for share repurchases	0
Payment of dividend	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0
Payment for the acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0
Receipt of capital contributions	0
Cash paid for debt modification	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	0	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(2,388)	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	2,388	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | LIN Television Corporation
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	6,528	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(8,610)	0
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary	0
Payment/deposit for acquisition of station assets		0
Deferred proceeds related to sale of property		0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	50	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	0
Receipt of dividend	39,005
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0
Payment of capital contributions	0
Other, net and Collateral refunds related to letters of credit	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	30,445	0
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings under revolving credit facility		0
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement		0
Repayment of other borrowings	0
Payment for share repurchases	0
Payment of dividend	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	(26,255)
Payment for the acquisition of noncontrolling interest	(9,218)
Receipt of capital contributions	3,011
Cash paid for debt modification	0
Other, net	(207)	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(32,669)	0
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	4,304	0
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	9,658	0
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	13,962	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	83,285	3,415
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(13,876)	(8,368)
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary	119,903
Payment/deposit for acquisition of station assets		(8,340)
Deferred proceeds related to sale of property		24,535
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	641	1,072
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	620
Receipt of dividend	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	24,230
Payment of capital contributions	0
Other, net and Collateral refunds related to letters of credit	0	980
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	131,518	9,879
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings under revolving credit facility		10,000
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement		(10,000)
Repayment of other borrowings	0
Payment for share repurchases	(18,747)
Payment of dividend	(39,005)
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0
Payment for the acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0
Receipt of capital contributions	0
Cash paid for debt modification	(3,425)
Other, net	602	(946)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(195,575)	(64,946)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	19,228	(51,652)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	27,371	67,508
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	46,599	15,856
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	7,977	(596)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(1,564)	(4)
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary	0
Payment/deposit for acquisition of station assets		0
Deferred proceeds related to sale of property		0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	2,500
Receipt of dividend	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0
Payment of capital contributions	0
Other, net and Collateral refunds related to letters of credit	(69)	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	867	(4)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Principal borrowings under revolving credit facility		0
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement		0
Repayment of other borrowings	(580)
Payment for share repurchases	0
Payment of dividend	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0
Payment for the acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0
Receipt of capital contributions	0
Cash paid for debt modification	0
Other, net	(50)	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(1,830)	(1,200)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	7,014	(1,800)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,503	4,110
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	11,517	2,310
Reportable Legal Entities | Media General Credit Agreement | New Media General
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Media General Credit Agreement | LIN Television Corporation
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Media General Credit Agreement | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	(135,000)	(64,000)
Reportable Legal Entities | Media General Credit Agreement | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Shield Media Credit Agreement | New Media General
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Shield Media Credit Agreement | LIN Television Corporation
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Shield Media Credit Agreement | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Shield Media Credit Agreement | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayment of borrowings under Media General Credit Agreement	$ (1,200)	$ (1,200)