Income taxes - Summary of Activity Related to Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Excluding Federal Tax Benefit of State Tax Deductions (Detail) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 28, 2014
Change in unrecognized tax benefits
Balance at beginning of year	$ 58,886	$ 57,324
Additions based on tax positions related to the current year	6,095	12,426
Additions for tax positions of prior years	853	868
Reductions for tax positions of prior years	(24,858)	(4,563)
Settlements	0	(129)
Reductions for transfers to Gannett Co., Inc.	(18,804)	0
Reductions due to lapse of statutes of limitations	(2,681)	(7,040)
Balance at end of year	$ 19,491	$ 58,886

Unrecognized Tax Benefits, Decrease Resulting from Transfers to Affiliated Entity

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- Definition

A roll forward is a reconciliation of a concept from the beginning of a period to the end of a period.

+ References

No definition available.

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- Definition

Amount of unrecognized tax benefits pertaining to uncertain tax positions taken in tax returns.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 740
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 15A
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=SL6600010-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Glossary Unrecognized Tax Benefit
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6527854

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- Definition

Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions taken in prior period tax returns.

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- Definition

Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from settlements with taxing authorities.

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- Definition

Amount of increase in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions that have been or will be taken in current period tax return.

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Amount of increase in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from tax positions taken in prior period tax returns.

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Amount of decrease in unrecognized tax benefits resulting from lapses of applicable statutes of limitations.

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