Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014	Sep. 30, 2015	Sep. 30, 2014
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	$ 321,736	$ 160,224	$ 938,993	$ 458,253
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	143,492	54,679	403,537	156,112
Selling, general and administrative expenses	78,777	39,440	238,298	123,702
Amortization of program license rights	12,822	5,167	36,627	15,077
Corporate and other expenses	12,598	5,567	37,615	19,778
Depreciation and amortization	40,385	15,643	123,286	48,278
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	96	676	(328)	897
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	52,862	0	52,862	0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	10,014	3,596	18,907	13,173
Restructuring Charges	1,132	275	1,132	4,764
Operating income	(30,442)	35,181	27,057	76,472
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(29,481)	9,826	(89,792)	29,432
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	365	0	2,805	183
Intercompany income and (expenses)	0		0
Other, net	(27)	(19)	(5,939)	(19)
Total other expense	(29,819)	(9,807)	(86,658)	(29,596)
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(60,261)	25,374	(59,601)	46,876
Income tax (benefit) expense	4,374	(11,525)	(3,915)	(20,696)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(55,887)	13,849	(55,686)	26,180
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0	0	0
Net income	(55,887)	13,849	(55,686)	26,180
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	(7,394)	454	(1,395)	614
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	(48,493)	13,395	(54,291)	25,566
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	(48,493)	13,395	(54,291)	25,566
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
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	0		0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring Charges	0	0	0	0
Operating income	0	0	0	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	48,493	0	54,291	0
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Other comprehensive income		0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Reportable Legal Entities | LIN Television Corporation
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	91,179	0	273,655	0
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	40,149	0	118,042	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	22,960	0	68,677	0
Amortization of program license rights	4,494	0	13,035	0
Corporate and other expenses	3,111	0	8,973	0
Depreciation and amortization	15,055	0	44,713	0
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	15	0	144	0
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	0		0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	704	0	3,028	0
Restructuring Charges	0	0	0	0
Operating income	4,691	0	17,043	0
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(11,174)	0	(31,379)	0
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	(22,965)		(29,263)
Other, net	(13)	0	75	0
Total other expense	48,739	0	73,077	0
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(44,048)	0	(56,034)	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	4,445	0	(1,743)	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(14,587)	0	(12,510)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	(48,493)	0	(54,291)	0
Reportable Legal Entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	215,524	155,558	632,024	444,636
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	93,562	53,090	265,731	151,404
Selling, general and administrative expenses	43,340	37,532	149,567	117,654
Amortization of program license rights	7,781	4,942	22,132	14,299
Corporate and other expenses	9,511	5,820	28,672	20,089
Depreciation and amortization	24,732	15,458	73,966	47,710
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	81	676	(472)	897
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	52,862		52,862
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	9,310	3,596	15,879	13,173
Restructuring Charges	1,132	275	1,132	4,764
Operating income	(26,787)	34,169	22,555	74,646
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(18,113)	9,522	(57,525)	28,511
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	(365)	0	(2,805)	183
Intercompany income and (expenses)	23,289		30,005
Other, net	40	(19)	864	1
Total other expense	(4,851)	(9,503)	29,461	(28,695)
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(21,936)	24,666	(6,906)	45,951
Income tax (benefit) expense	(9,424)	(11,525)	(1,551)	(20,696)
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(12,512)	13,141	(5,355)	25,255
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	(178)	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	(12,512)	13,141	(5,177)	25,255
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	(12,512)	13,141	(5,177)	25,255
Reportable Legal Entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	22,405	4,666	53,088	13,617
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	14,360	1,589	31,758	4,708
Selling, general and administrative expenses	12,631	1,908	20,920	6,048
Amortization of program license rights	547	225	1,460	778
Corporate and other expenses	(24)	(253)	(30)	(311)
Depreciation and amortization	598	185	4,607	568
(Gain) loss related to property and equipment, net	0	0	0	0
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	0		0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring Charges	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(5,707)	1,012	(5,627)	1,826
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(194)	304	(888)	921
Debt modification and extinguishment costs	0	0	0	0
Intercompany income and (expenses)	(324)		(742)
Other, net	0	0	5,000	(20)
Total other expense	518	(304)	(3,370)	(901)
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	(6,225)	708	(2,257)	925
Income tax (benefit) expense	605	0	(621)	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	(6,830)	708	(1,636)	925
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	0	0		0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	(7,394)	454	(1,217)	614
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	564	254	(419)	311
Other comprehensive income	0	0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	564	254	(419)	311
Eliminations
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net operating revenue	(7,372)	0	(19,774)	0
Operating costs:
Operating expenses, excluding depreciation expense	(4,579)	0	(11,994)	0
Selling, general and administrative expenses	(154)	0	(866)	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
Goodwill, Impairment Loss	0		0
Merger-related and restructuring expenses	0	0	0	0
Restructuring Charges	0	0	0	0
Operating income	(2,639)	0	(6,914)	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	(63,080)	0	(66,801)	0
Income from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	60,441	0	59,887	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) from continuing operations	60,441	0	59,887	0
Equity in income (loss) from operations of consolidated subsidiaries	63,080	0	66,801	0
Net income (loss) attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	0	0
Net income (loss) attributable to Media General	60,441	0	59,887	0
Other comprehensive income		0	0	0
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to Media General	$ 60,441	$ 0	$ 59,887	$ 0