Note 4 - Debt and Other Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended				1 Months Ended			1 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended	2 Months Ended				1 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2014	Aug. 31, 2014 Amended Media General Credit Agreement [Member] Term Loan [Member] Acquisition of WHTM-TV [Member]	Apr. 30, 2014 Amended Media General Credit Agreement [Member] Term Loan [Member]	Apr. 30, 2014 Amended Media General Credit Agreement [Member] Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Aug. 31, 2014 Amended Media General Credit Agreement [Member] Secured Debt [Member]	Apr. 30, 2014 Amended Media General Credit Agreement [Member] Secured Debt [Member]	Apr. 30, 2014 Amended Media General Credit Agreement [Member] Other Assets [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Term Loan [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member] Minimum [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Term Loan [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Term Loan [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Shield Media Term Loan [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Shield Media Term Loan [Member] Minimum [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Shield Media Term Loan [Member]	Nov. 30, 2013 Shield Media Term Loan [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member] London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) [Member]	Jul. 31, 2013 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]	Sep. 30, 2014 Revolving Credit Facility [Member]
Note 4 - Debt and Other Financial Instruments (Details) [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount		$ 75,000,000								$ 885,000,000						$ 32,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity			1,500,000,000	90,000,000		1,600,000,000												60,000,000	60,000,000
Debt Instrument, Term										7 years					5 years			5 years
Debt Instrument, Interest Rate, Stated Percentage Rate Range, Minimum									1.00%
Debt Instrument, Basis Spread on Variable Rate								3.00%	3.25%				3.25%				2.75%
Line of Credit Facility, Unused Capacity, Commitment Fee Percentage																		0.50%
Repayments of Long-term Debt											20,000,000	84,000,000
Gains (Losses) on Extinguishment of Debt	(183,000)										0	(200,000)
Line of Credit Facility, Increase (Decrease), Other, Net					(110,000,000)
Debt Instrument, Fee Amount							$ 1,300,000
Debt Instrument, Periodic Payment as Percentage of Initial Principal Balance														1.875%