Deferred Tax Liabilities and Assets (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Dec. 28, 2014	Dec. 29, 2013
Liabilities
Accelerated depreciation	$ 262,657	$ 302,650
Accelerated amortization of deductible intangibles	589,014	678,744
Partnership investments including impairments	244,582	0
Other	18,961us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther	24,882us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilitiesOther
Total deferred tax liabilities	1,115,214us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities	1,006,276us-gaap_DeferredTaxLiabilities
Assets
Accrued compensation costs	64,255	75,492
Pension	343,566	219,413
Postretirement medical and life	37,794	55,921
Federal tax benefits of uncertain state tax positions	12,135	12,474
Partnership investments including impairments	0	1,140
Loss carryforwards	361,133	74,018
Other	77,977us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther	84,738us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsOther
Total deferred tax assets	896,860us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross	523,196us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGross
Valuation allowance	200,123	83,579
Total net deferred tax assets (liabilities)	(418,477)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet	(566,659)us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsLiabilitiesNet
Current deferred tax assets	158,648us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGrossCurrent	21,245us-gaap_DeferredTaxAssetsGrossCurrent
Assets held for sale	9,600gci_DeferredTaxAssetsAssetsHeldforSale	0gci_DeferredTaxAssetsAssetsHeldforSale
Noncurrent deferred tax assets	63,647	0
Noncurrent deferred tax liabilities	$ 650,372	$ 587,904

Deferred Tax Assets, Assets Held-for-Sale

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Deferred Tax Assets, Federal Benefit of Uncertain Tax Positions

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from equity method investments.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards expected to be realized or consumed within one year or operating cycle, if longer.

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Amount after allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards, net of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible operating loss carryforwards.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences not separately disclosed.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from pension benefits.

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Amount before allocation of valuation allowances of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences from postretirement benefits.

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Amount of deferred tax assets for which it is more likely than not that a tax benefit will not be realized.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences net of deferred tax asset attributable to deductible temporary differences and carryforwards after valuation allowances.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from intangible assets including goodwill.

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Gross amount of noncurrent deferred tax liabilities, which result from applying the applicable tax rate to taxable temporary differences pertaining to each jurisdiction to which the entity is obligated to pay income tax.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from investments in unconsolidated subsidiaries and investments in other affiliates which are not controlled nor consolidated.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences not separately disclosed.

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Amount of deferred tax liability attributable to taxable temporary differences from property, plant, and equipment.

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