Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash used by operating activities	$ (4,799)	$ 56,419
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(6,763)	(7,209)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	3,976	262
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	0	620
Receipt of dividend	0	0
Advances on intercompany borrowings	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0	0
Payment of capital contributions		0
Other, net	(10)	(5)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(2,797)	(6,332)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	30,000	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	(30,000)	0
Repayments of borrowings	(800)
Repayment of other borrowings	(290)	(290)
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Exercise of stock options	1,408	958
Other, net	(220)	(764)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	98	(35,696)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(7,498)	14,391
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	41,091	43,920
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	33,593	58,311
Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	(800)	(600)
Media General Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	(35,000)
Eliminations [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash used by operating activities	0	0
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		0
Receipt of dividend	(19,502)	(19,502)
Advances on intercompany borrowings	2,644
Payments from intercompany borrowings	(12,060)	(14,098)
Payment of capital contributions		3,011
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(28,918)	(30,589)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments of borrowings	0
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment of dividend	19,502	19,502
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	(2,644)
Payments on intercompany borrowing	12,060	14,098
Receipt of capital contributions		(3,011)
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	28,918	30,589
Net (decrease) increase 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 [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Eliminations [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash used by operating activities	0	(1,402)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		0
Receipt of dividend	0	0
Advances on intercompany borrowings	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0	2,025
Payment of capital contributions		(3,011)
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	0	(986)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments of borrowings	0
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	0	0
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	0	(2,388)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	0	2,388
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| LIN Television Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash used by operating activities	(4,065)	12,021
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(1,716)	(2,314)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	29	36
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		0
Receipt of dividend	19,502	19,502
Advances on intercompany borrowings	(2,644)
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0	0
Payment of capital contributions		0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	15,171	17,224
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments of borrowings	0
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	(12,060)	(14,098)
Receipt of capital contributions		3,011
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	(149)	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(12,209)	(11,087)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(1,103)	18,158
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,103	9,658
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	27,816
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash used by operating activities	(596)	42,361
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(3,649)	(4,288)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	3,947	226
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		620
Receipt of dividend	0	0
Advances on intercompany borrowings	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	12,060	12,073
Payment of capital contributions		0
Other, net	(10)	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	12,348	8,631
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	30,000
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	(30,000)
Repayments of borrowings	0
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment of dividend	(19,502)	(19,502)
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Exercise of stock options	1,408	958
Other, net	(71)	(777)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(18,165)	(54,321)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	(6,413)	(3,329)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	35,925	27,371
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	29,512	24,042
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash used by operating activities	(138)	3,439
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(1,398)	(607)
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		0
Receipt of dividend	0	0
Advances on intercompany borrowings	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0	0
Payment of capital contributions		0
Other, net	0	(5)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(1,398)	(612)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments of borrowings	(800)
Repayment of other borrowings	(290)	(290)
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	2,644
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	0	13
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	1,554	(877)
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	18	1,950
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,063	4,503
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$ 4,081	6,453
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member] \| Media General [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member] \| LIN Television Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		(600)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member] \| Media General [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member] \| LIN Television Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		(35,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		$ 0

The amount of proceeds from advances on intercompany borrowings.

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The amount of proceeds from intercompany borrowings financing activities.

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Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

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Amount of increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are the amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Includes effect from exchange rate changes.

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Amount of cash inflow (outflow) from financing activities, including discontinued operations. Financing activity cash flows include obtaining resources from owners and providing them with a return on, and a return of, their investment; borrowing money and repaying amounts borrowed, or settling the obligation; and obtaining and paying for other resources obtained from creditors on long-term credit.

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Amount of cash inflow (outflow) from investing activities, including discontinued operations. Investing activity cash flows include making and collecting loans and acquiring and disposing of debt or equity instruments and property, plant, and equipment and other productive assets.

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Amount of cash inflow (outflow) from operating activities, including discontinued operations. Operating activity cash flows include transactions, adjustments, and changes in value not defined as investing or financing activities.

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The net cash outflow or inflow from other investing activities. This element is used when there is not a more specific and appropriate element in the taxonomy.

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The distributions of earnings to an entity that is affiliated with the reporting entity by means of direct or indirect ownership.

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Cash outflow in the form of capital distributions and dividends to common shareholders, preferred shareholders and noncontrolling interests.

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The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale; includes cash outflows to pay for construction of self-constructed assets.

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The cash inflow from an entity that is affiliated with the entity by means of direct or indirect ownership.

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Dividends received on equity and other investments during the current period.

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Amount of cash inflow from contractual arrangement with the lender, including but not limited to, letter of credit, standby letter of credit and revolving credit arrangements.

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The net cash inflow or outflow from other financing activities. This element is used when there is not a more specific and appropriate element in the taxonomy.

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The cash inflow from a long-term borrowing made from related parties where one party can exercise control or significant influence over another party; including affiliates, owners or officers and their immediate families, pension trusts, and so forth. Alternate caption: Proceeds from Advances from Affiliates.

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Amount of cash inflow from the sale of other assets as part of operating activities.

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The cash inflow from the sale of long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale.

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The cash inflow associated with the amount received from holders exercising their stock options. This item inherently excludes any excess tax benefit, which the entity may have realized and reported separately.

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The cash outflow during the period from the repayment of aggregate short-term and long-term debt. Excludes payment of capital lease obligations.

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Amount of cash outflow for payment of an obligation from a lender, including but not limited to, letter of credit, standby letter of credit and revolving credit arrangements.

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The cash outflow for the payment of other borrowing not otherwise defined in the taxonomy.

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- Definition

The cash outflow for the payment of a long-term borrowing made from a related party where one party can exercise control or significant influence over another party; including affiliates, owners or officers and their immediate families, pension trusts, and so forth. Alternate caption: Payments for Advances from Affiliates.

+ References

+ Details

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- Details

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