Description of business, use of estimates, basis of presentation, terminated merger agreement, and summary of significant accounting policies - Narrative (Details) shares in Millions				12 Months Ended
		Jun. 01, 2023 shares	May 22, 2023 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2023 USD ($) station radioStation market segment	Dec. 31, 2022 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($)
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Number of television stations | station				64
Number of markets In which entity operates | market				51
Merger termination fee				$ 136,000,000	$ 0	$ 0
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses				$ 412,000,000	414,530,000	396,446,000
Number of radio stations | radioStation				2
Number of operating segments | segment				1
Number of reportable segments | segment				1
Write-offs of accounts receivable				$ 2,500,000	3,800,000	1,900,000
Goodwill				$ 2,981,587,000	2,981,587,000
Reporting unit, percentage of fair value in excess of carrying amount				20.00%
Programming expense				$ 53,200,000	68,800,000	70,700,000
Syndicated programming rights				31,530,000	44,064,000
Impairment of indefinite-lived intangible assets				$ 3,400,000	0	0
Submission period for customers to submit payments				Our customers generally submit payments monthly, generally within 60-90 days after the month that the service was provided.
Cost of revenues	[1]			$ 1,718,857,000	1,693,221,000	1,598,759,000
Impairment, Intangible Asset, Indefinite-Lived (Excluding Goodwill), Statement of Income or Comprehensive Income [Extensible Enumeration]				Asset impairment charges
Gain on termination of business acquisition				$ 136,000,000	0	0
Performance share awards
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Award vesting period				2 years
Requisite service period				3 years
Restricted stock units
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Requisite service period				4 years
Investment One
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Investments				$ 19,500,000	20,200,000
Equity investments, impairment loss					2,500,000
Recorded gains						1,900,000
Investment One | Level 2
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Equity investments, impairment loss						1,900,000
Recorded gains						1,900,000
Television and radio station FCC broadcast licenses
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Television and radio station FCC broadcast licenses				2,124,731,000	2,123,898,000
FCC licenses which have experienced limited headroom
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Television and radio station FCC broadcast licenses				395,900,000
FCC licenses, all other licenses
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Television and radio station FCC broadcast licenses				$ 1,730,000,000
Minimum | Building and Improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life (in years)				10 years
Minimum | Machinery, Equipment, and Fixtures
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life (in years)				3 years
Maximum | Building and Improvements
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life (in years)				40 years
Maximum | Machinery, Equipment, and Fixtures
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, useful life (in years)				25 years
Cost of Sales
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Bad debt expense				$ 1,700,000	3,100,000	(700,000)
Selling, General and Administrative Expenses | Advertising
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Cost of revenues				$ 10,700,000	$ 9,700,000	$ 9,800,000
Teton Parent Corp
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Termination fee, paid in shares (in shares) | shares		8.6
Gain on termination of business acquisition			$ 136,000,000
Teton Parent Corp | Termination Fee
Significant Accounting Policies [Line Items]
Business units - Selling, general and administrative expenses			$ 9,900,000

[1] Cost of revenues exclude charges for depreciation and amortization expense, which are shown separately above.