Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended				6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		$ 484,036		$ 489,358		$ 939,024	$ 932,993
Programming and direct operating expenses		232,170		210,452		451,220	412,581
Selling, general and administrative		129,700		125,878		262,962	257,834
Depreciation and amortization		48,885		54,962		96,858	110,424
Gain on sales of spectrum		0		0		0	(133,197)
Total operating expenses		410,755		391,292		811,040	647,642
Operating (Loss) Profit	[1]	73,281		98,066		127,984	285,351
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		46,527		52,568		92,212	91,705
Interest income		7,726		2,336		13,973	4,234
Interest expense		(43,777)		(41,990)		(87,392)	(82,621)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		4,524		6,985		9,154	14,069
Gain on investment transactions		0		0		86,272	3,888
Other non-operating items, net		(796)		(711)		(3,737)	(1,487)
Intercompany income (charges)		0		0		0	0
Income Before Income Taxes		87,485		117,254		238,466	315,139
Income tax (benefit) expense		23,835		32,816		61,612	89,518
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		0		0		0	0
Net Income		63,650	$ 113,204	84,438	$ 141,183	176,854	225,621
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		7		4		11	10
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		63,657		84,442		176,865	225,631
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		53,271		83,011		160,867	232,692
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
Gain on sales of spectrum							0
Total operating expenses		0		0		0	0
Operating (Loss) Profit		0		0		0	0
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		0		0		0	0
Interest income		0		0		0	0
Interest expense		0		0		0	0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		0		0		0	0
Gain on investment transactions						0	0
Other non-operating items, net		0		0		0	0
Intercompany income (charges)		0		0		0	0
Income Before Income Taxes		0		0		0	0
Income tax (benefit) expense		0		0		0	0
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		(90,103)		(117,231)		(230,042)	(295,807)
Net Income		(90,103)		(117,231)		(230,042)	(295,807)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		0		0		0	0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		(90,103)		(117,231)		(230,042)	(295,807)
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		(90,306)		(116,529)		(229,917)	(295,540)
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		24,615		19,570		48,188	42,434
Depreciation and amortization		1,558		2,069		3,301	4,473
Gain on sales of spectrum							0
Total operating expenses		26,173		21,639		51,489	46,907
Operating (Loss) Profit		(26,173)		(21,639)		(51,489)	(46,907)
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		0		0		0	0
Interest income		7,720		2,336		13,966	4,234
Interest expense		(43,777)		(41,990)		(87,392)	(82,621)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		4,524		6,985		9,154	14,069
Gain on investment transactions						0	0
Other non-operating items, net		(842)		(711)		(2,044)	(1,487)
Intercompany income (charges)		23,578		12,412		47,156	24,825
Income Before Income Taxes		(34,970)		(42,607)		(70,649)	(87,887)
Income tax (benefit) expense		(8,336)		(9,620)		(17,124)	(17,175)
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		90,291		117,429		230,390	296,343
Net Income		63,657		84,442		176,865	225,631
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		0		0		0	0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		63,657		84,442		176,865	225,631
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		53,271		83,011		160,867	232,692
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		482,885		486,549		936,522	927,440
Programming and direct operating expenses		231,508		209,872		449,860	411,215
Selling, general and administrative		104,221		105,564		213,025	213,936
Depreciation and amortization		44,468		49,949		87,838	99,881
Gain on sales of spectrum							(133,197)
Total operating expenses		380,197		365,385		750,723	591,835
Operating (Loss) Profit		102,688		121,164		185,799	335,605
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		47,177		42,684		93,634	82,042
Interest income		0		0		0	0
Interest expense		0		0		0	0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		0		0		0	0
Gain on investment transactions						0	0
Other non-operating items, net		0		0		(1,000)	0
Intercompany income (charges)		(23,578)		(12,369)		(47,156)	(24,740)
Income Before Income Taxes		126,287		151,479		231,277	392,907
Income tax (benefit) expense		33,094		40,272		61,741	104,122
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		(188)		(198)		(348)	(536)
Net Income		93,005		111,009		169,188	288,249
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		0		0		0	0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		93,005		111,009		169,188	288,249
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		92,998		110,968		169,166	288,183
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		1,151		2,809		2,502	5,553
Programming and direct operating expenses		662		580		1,360	1,366
Selling, general and administrative		864		744		1,749	1,464
Depreciation and amortization		2,859		2,944		5,719	6,070
Gain on sales of spectrum							0
Total operating expenses		4,385		4,268		8,828	8,900
Operating (Loss) Profit		(3,234)		(1,459)		(6,326)	(3,347)
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		(650)		9,884		(1,422)	9,663
Interest income		6		0		7	0
Interest expense		0		0		0	0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		0		0		0	0
Gain on investment transactions						86,272	3,888
Other non-operating items, net		46		0		(693)	0
Intercompany income (charges)		0		(43)		0	(85)
Income Before Income Taxes		(3,832)		8,382		77,838	10,119
Income tax (benefit) expense		(923)		2,164		16,995	2,571
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		0		0		0	0
Net Income		(2,909)		6,218		60,843	7,548
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		7		4		11	10
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		(2,902)		6,222		60,854	7,558
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		$ (2,692)		$ 5,561		$ 60,751	$ 7,357

[1] (1) Operating profit (loss) for each segment excludes income and loss on equity investments, interest income, interest expense, pension and other postretirement period benefit cost (credit), non-operating items, reorganization costs and income taxes.