Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017		Jun. 30, 2016
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	$ 469,517	$ 479,796	$ 909,427	[1]	$ 948,268	[1]
Programming and direct operating expenses	254,024	219,326	494,077		441,065
Selling, general and administrative	141,576	148,127	301,435		308,761
Depreciation and amortization	55,591	56,137	110,821		112,244
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties		0	(300)		449
Total operating expenses	451,191	423,590	906,333		862,070
Operating Profit	18,326	56,206	3,094	[1],[2]	86,198	[1],[2]
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	40,761	44,306	77,798		82,558
Interest and dividend income	548	228	1,053		360
Interest expense	(40,185)	(38,071)	(78,943)		(76,212)
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt	0	0	(19,052)		0
Gain on investment transaction	0	0	4,950		0
Write-downs of investment	(58,800)	0	(180,800)		0
Other non-operating items	(378)	(441)	(654)		(379)
Intercompany income (charges)	0	0	0		0
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	(39,728)	62,228	(192,554)		92,525
Income tax benefit	(9,905)	214,856	(61,519)		230,051
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0		0
Net Loss from Continuing Operations	(29,823)	(152,628)	(131,035)		(137,526)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	(579)	(8,935)	15,039		(12,944)
Net Loss	(30,402)	(161,563)	(115,996)		(150,470)
Comprehensive (Loss) Income	(28,135)	(160,752)	(106,086)		(146,022)
Eliminations
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	0	0	0		0
Programming and direct operating expenses	0	0	0		0
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0		0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0		0
Total operating expenses	0	0	0		0
Operating Profit	0	0	0		0
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	0	0	0		0
Interest and dividend income	0	0	0		0
Interest expense	0	0	0		0
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt			0
Gain on investment transaction			0
Write-downs of investment	0		0
Other non-operating items	0	0	0		0
Intercompany income (charges)	0	0	0		0
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	0	0	0		0
Income tax benefit	0	0	0		0
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	(4,618)	51,292	59,881		9,796
Net Loss from Continuing Operations	(4,618)	51,292	59,881		9,796
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	0	9,119	1,097		10,468
Net Loss	(4,618)	60,411	60,978		20,264
Comprehensive (Loss) Income	(9,670)	64,585	42,683		20,397
Parent (Tribune Media Company) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	0	0	0		0
Programming and direct operating expenses	0	0	0		0
Selling, general and administrative	29,858	23,981	62,825		49,410
Depreciation and amortization	2,938	2,768	5,886		5,337
Total operating expenses	32,796	26,749	68,711		54,747
Operating Profit	(32,796)	(26,749)	(68,711)		(54,747)
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	(570)	(678)	(1,039)		(1,398)
Interest and dividend income	534	217	1,016		308
Interest expense	(40,024)	(37,868)	(78,616)		(75,762)
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt			(19,052)
Gain on investment transaction			4,950
Write-downs of investment	0		0
Other non-operating items	(378)	(441)	(654)		(379)
Intercompany income (charges)	19,468	21,989	47,686		43,981
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	(53,766)	(43,530)	(114,420)		(87,997)
Income tax benefit	(16,877)	58,383	(40,592)		41,059
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	7,066	(50,715)	(57,207)		(8,470)
Net Loss from Continuing Operations	(29,823)	(152,628)	(131,035)		(137,526)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	(579)	(8,935)	15,039		(12,944)
Net Loss	(30,402)	(161,563)	(115,996)		(150,470)
Comprehensive (Loss) Income	(28,135)	(160,752)	(106,086)		(146,022)
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	467,198	477,491	904,685		943,461
Programming and direct operating expenses	249,597	218,373	488,829		438,900
Selling, general and administrative	110,804	123,301	236,893		257,687
Depreciation and amortization	49,527	50,159	98,689		100,517
Total operating expenses	409,928	391,833	824,411		797,104
Operating Profit	57,270	85,658	80,274		146,357
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	41,331	44,984	78,837		83,956
Interest and dividend income	14	11	37		52
Interest expense	0	0	0		0
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt			0
Gain on investment transaction			0
Write-downs of investment	(58,800)		(180,800)
Other non-operating items	0	0	0		0
Intercompany income (charges)	(19,426)	(21,933)	(47,577)		(43,869)
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	20,389	108,720	(69,229)		186,496
Income tax benefit	9,468	51,017	(17,473)		84,677
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	(2,448)	(577)	(2,674)		(1,326)
Net Loss from Continuing Operations	8,473	57,126	(54,430)		100,493
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	0	(8,688)	(1,904)		(11,420)
Net Loss	8,473	48,438	(56,334)		89,073
Comprehensive (Loss) Income	12,521	46,636	(50,410)		87,375
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	2,319	2,305	4,742		4,807
Programming and direct operating expenses	4,427	953	5,248		2,165
Selling, general and administrative	914	845	1,717		1,664
Depreciation and amortization	3,126	3,210	6,246		6,390
Total operating expenses	8,467	5,008	13,211		10,219
Operating Profit	(6,148)	(2,703)	(8,469)		(5,412)
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	0	0	0		0
Interest and dividend income	0	0	0		0
Interest expense	(161)	(203)	(327)		(450)
Loss on extinguishment and modification of debt			0
Gain on investment transaction			0
Write-downs of investment	0		0
Other non-operating items	0	0	0		0
Intercompany income (charges)	(42)	(56)	(109)		(112)
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	(6,351)	(2,962)	(8,905)		(5,974)
Income tax benefit	(2,496)	105,456	(3,454)		104,315
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0	0		0
Net Loss from Continuing Operations	(3,855)	(108,418)	(5,451)		(110,289)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	0	(431)	807		952
Net Loss	(3,855)	(108,849)	(4,644)		(109,337)
Comprehensive (Loss) Income	$ (2,851)	$ (111,221)	$ 7,727		$ (107,772)

[1] (1)See Note 2 for the disclosures of operating revenues and operating loss included in discontinued operations for the historical periods.

[2] (2)Operating profit (loss) for each segment excludes income and loss on equity investments, interest and dividend income, interest expense, non-operating items, reorganization costs and income taxes.