Guarantor Financial Information - Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	$ 141,656	$ 135,496
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(33,939)	(40,583)
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary	0	119,903
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	6,167	1,279
Proceeds from spectrum relocation	0	3,120
Receipt of dividend	0	0
Advances on intercompany borrowings	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0	0
Payment of capital contributions		0
Other, net	(165)	(78)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(27,937)	83,641
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	60,000	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	(60,000)	0
Repayment of other borrowings	(517)	(873)
Payment for acquisition of noncontrolling interest	(35,305)	(10,872)
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Cash paid for debt modification	0	(3,425)
Repurchase of shares	0	(33,724)
Exercise of stock options	1,935	1,848
Other, net	(701)	(546)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(96,988)	(225,255)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	16,731	(6,118)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	41,091	43,920
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	57,822	37,802
Senior Notes 2021 [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	(15,863)
Media General Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	(60,000)	(160,000)
Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	(2,400)	(1,800)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	0	(1,402)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	0	0
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary		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
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment for acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0	0
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Cash paid for debt modification		0
Repurchase of shares		0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	0	0
Net increase (decrease) 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] \| Media General [Member] \| Senior Notes 2021 [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Media General [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| LIN Television Corporation [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	10,697	18,085
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(8,723)	(14,845)
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary		0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	40	71
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		0
Receipt of dividend	58,508	58,507
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	47,181	43,733
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment for acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0	(10,872)
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	(58,508)	(38,412)
Receipt of capital contributions		3,011
Cash paid for debt modification		0
Repurchase of shares		0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	(473)	(312)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(58,981)	(62,448)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	(1,103)	(630)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	1,103	9,658
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	0	9,028
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| LIN Television Corporation [Member] \| Senior Notes 2021 [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		(15,863)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| LIN Television Corporation [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| LIN Television Corporation [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	128,117	115,243
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(24,931)	(22,833)
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary		119,903
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	4,104	1,208
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		620
Receipt of dividend	0	0
Advances on intercompany borrowings	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	58,508	36,387
Payment of capital contributions		0
Other, net	(165)	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	37,516	135,285
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	60,000
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	(60,000)
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment for acquisition of noncontrolling interest	(35,305)	0
Payment of dividend	(58,508)	(58,507)
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	2,644
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Cash paid for debt modification		(3,425)
Repurchase of shares		(33,724)
Exercise of stock options	1,935	1,848
Other, net	(228)	(164)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(149,462)	(253,972)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	16,171	(3,444)
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	35,925	27,371
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	52,096	23,927
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Senior Notes 2021 [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	(60,000)	(160,000)
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net cash provided (used) by operating activities	2,842	3,570
Cash flows from investing activities:
Capital expenditures	(285)	(2,905)
Release of restricted cash at qualified intermediary		0
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	2,023	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		2,500
Receipt of dividend	0	0
Advances on intercompany borrowings	0
Payments from intercompany borrowings	0	0
Payment of capital contributions		0
Other, net	0	(78)
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	1,738	(483)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayment of other borrowings	(517)	(873)
Payment for acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0	0
Payment of dividend	0	0
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	0
Payments on intercompany borrowing	0	0
Receipt of capital contributions		0
Cash paid for debt modification		0
Repurchase of shares		0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	0	(70)
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	(2,917)	(2,743)
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	1,663	344
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	4,063	4,503
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	5,726	4,847
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Senior Notes 2021 [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings		0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Media General Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	0	0
Reportable Legal Entities [Member] \| Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	(2,400)	(1,800)
Eliminations [Member]
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
Proceeds from the sale of property and equipment	0	0
Proceeds from spectrum relocation		0
Receipt of dividend	(58,508)	(58,507)
Advances on intercompany borrowings	2,644
Payments from intercompany borrowings	(58,508)	(38,412)
Payment of capital contributions		3,011
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by investing activities	(114,372)	(93,908)
Cash flows from financing activities:
Borrowings under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayments under Media General Revolving Credit Facility	0
Repayment of other borrowings	0	0
Payment for acquisition of noncontrolling interest	0	0
Payment of dividend	58,508	58,507
Proceeds from intercompany borrowings	(2,644)
Payments on intercompany borrowing	58,508	38,412
Receipt of capital contributions		(3,011)
Cash paid for debt modification		0
Repurchase of shares		0
Exercise of stock options	0	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash provided (used) by financing activities	114,372	93,908
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 [Member] \| Senior Notes 2021 [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	0
Eliminations [Member] \| Shield Media Credit Agreement [Member]
Cash flows from financing activities:
Repayments of borrowings	$ 0	$ 0

The amount of proceeds from advances on intercompany borrowings.

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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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The net cash inflow or outflow for the increase (decrease) associated with funds that are not available for withdrawal or use (such as funds held in escrow) and are associated with underlying transactions that are classified as investing activities.

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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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The cash outflow to reacquire common stock during the period.

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The cash outflow for cost incurred in the modification of term of existing debt agreement in order for the entity to achieve some advantage.

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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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Amount of cash outflow to a noncontrolling interest. Includes, but not limited to, reduction of noncontrolling interest ownership. Excludes dividends paid to the noncontrolling interest.

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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 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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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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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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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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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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No definition available.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
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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.

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