Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 57,822	$ 41,091	$ 37,802	$ 43,920
Trade accounts receivable, net		311,826	298,474
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		15,515	15,083
Total current assets		385,163	354,648
Property and equipment, net		445,591	470,537
Other assets, net		30,455	38,070
Definite lived intangible assets, net		788,000	871,129
Broadcast licenses		1,097,100	1,097,100
Goodwill		1,451,036	1,544,624
Advances to consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total assets	[1]	4,197,345	4,376,108
Current liabilities:
Trade accounts payable		18,074	35,800
Accrued salaries and wages		25,084	21,465
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		105,920	95,500
Current installments of long-term debt		3,547	3,804
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		797	859
Total current liabilities		153,422	157,428
Long-term debt, net		2,147,336	2,199,110
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		313,013	315,234
Long-term capital lease obligations		13,553	14,012
Retirement and postretirement plans		172,599	182,987
Other liabilities		26,140	34,920
Total liabilities	[2]	2,826,063	2,903,691
Noncontrolling interests		4,044	24,447
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)		1,367,238	1,447,970	1,416,694	1,500,421
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		4,197,345	4,376,108
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Media General [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0	0	2,388
Trade accounts receivable, net		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 consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		1,367,238	1,447,970
Total assets		1,367,238	1,447,970
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, net		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' equity (deficit)		1,367,238	1,447,970
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		1,367,238	1,447,970
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | LIN Television Corporation [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0	1,103	9,028	9,658
Trade accounts receivable, net		79,293	75,866
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		2,451	3,264
Total current assets		81,744	80,233
Property and equipment, net		148,182	158,627
Other assets, net		676	7,199
Definite lived intangible assets, net		343,143	368,011
Broadcast licenses		0	0
Goodwill		527,077	527,077
Advances to consolidated subsidiaries		(222,832)	(206,396)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		1,260,899	1,319,392
Total assets		2,138,889	2,254,143
Current liabilities:
Trade accounts payable		1,153	2,010
Accrued salaries and wages		4,549	2,022
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		22,384	23,237
Current installments of long-term debt		0	0
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		607	575
Total current liabilities		28,693	27,844
Long-term debt, net		668,632	667,867
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		60,473	62,785
Long-term capital lease obligations		12,636	12,953
Retirement and postretirement plans		0	25,917
Other liabilities		1,217	8,807
Total liabilities		771,651	806,173
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)		1,367,238	1,447,970
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		2,138,889	2,254,143
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		52,096	35,925	23,927	27,371
Trade accounts receivable, net		223,404	192,306
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		12,398	10,441
Total current assets		287,898	238,672
Property and equipment, net		295,510	309,160
Other assets, net		28,592	27,523
Definite lived intangible assets, net		414,908	458,261
Broadcast licenses		1,025,800	1,025,800
Goodwill		902,100	924,708
Advances to consolidated subsidiaries		220,431	223,051
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total assets		3,175,239	3,207,175
Current liabilities:
Trade accounts payable		16,897	30,689
Accrued salaries and wages		20,368	19,016
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		81,755	68,101
Current installments of long-term debt		0	0
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		190	256
Total current liabilities		119,210	118,062
Long-term debt, net		1,457,278	1,507,181
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		252,540	253,232
Long-term capital lease obligations		917	1,059
Retirement and postretirement plans		172,599	157,070
Other liabilities		20,123	20,999
Total liabilities		2,022,667	2,057,603
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)		1,152,572	1,149,572
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		3,175,239	3,207,175
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		5,726	4,063	4,847	4,503
Trade accounts receivable, net		9,129	30,302
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		666	1,378
Total current assets		15,521	35,743
Property and equipment, net		1,899	2,750
Other assets, net		1,187	3,348
Definite lived intangible assets, net		29,949	44,857
Broadcast licenses		71,300	71,300
Goodwill		21,859	92,839
Advances to consolidated subsidiaries		2,401	(16,655)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total assets		144,116	234,182
Current liabilities:
Trade accounts payable		24	3,101
Accrued salaries and wages		167	427
Accrued expenses and other current liabilities		1,781	4,162
Current installments of long-term debt		3,547	3,804
Current installments of obligation under capital leases		0	28
Total current liabilities		5,519	11,522
Long-term debt, net		21,426	24,062
Deferred tax liability and other long-term tax liabilities		0	(783)
Long-term capital lease obligations		0	0
Retirement and postretirement plans		0	0
Other liabilities		4,800	5,114
Total liabilities		31,745	39,915
Noncontrolling interests		4,044	24,447
Stockholders' equity:
Total stockholders' equity (deficit)		108,327	169,820
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		144,116	234,182
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Trade accounts receivable, net		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 consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		(2,628,137)	(2,767,362)
Total assets		(2,628,137)	(2,767,362)
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, net		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' equity (deficit)		(2,628,137)	(2,767,362)
Total liabilities, noncontrolling interest and stockholders' equity (deficit)		$ (2,628,137)	$ (2,767,362)

[1] Consolidated assets as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $141 million and $145 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. See Note 1 and Note 3.

[2] Consolidated liabilities as of September 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015, include total liabilities of VIEs of $31 million and $38 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 3.