STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT - Schedule of Stock Options Outstanding and Stock Option Activity (Detail) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
Options
Granted (in shares)	0	0	0
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Share for which non-cash compensation expense has not been recorded (in shares)	500,000
Parent Company
Options
Outstanding at beginning of period (in shares)	2,092,000
Granted (in shares)	0
Exercised (in shares)	0
Forfeited (in shares)	0
Expired (in shares)	0
Outstanding at end of period (in shares)	2,092,000	2,092,000
Exercisable (in shares)	1,549,000
Expected to Vest (in shares)	543,000
Price
Outstanding at beginning of period (in dollars per share)	$ 35.09
Outstanding at end of period (in dollars per share)	35.09	$ 35.09
Exercisable (in dollars per share)	35.14
Expected to Vest (in dollars per share)	$ 34.94
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding	1 year 7 months 6 days	2 years 7 months 3 days
Exercisable	2 years
Expected to Vest	8 months 15 days
CCOH
Options
Outstanding at beginning of period (in shares)	5,033,000
Granted (in shares)	4,000
Exercised (in shares)	(71,000)
Forfeited (in shares)	(96,000)
Expired (in shares)	(760,000)
Outstanding at end of period (in shares)	4,110,000	5,033,000
Exercisable (in shares)	3,392,000
Expected to Vest (in shares)	718,000
Price
Outstanding at beginning of period (in dollars per share)	$ 7.04
Granted (in dollars per share)	4.25
Exercised (in dollars per share)	3.10
Forfeited (in dollars per share)	6.85
Expired (in dollars per share)	12.49
Outstanding at end of period (in dollars per share)	6.10	$ 7.04
Exercisable (in dollars per share)	6.01
Expected to Vest (in dollars per share)	$ 6.52
Weighted Average Remaining Contractual Term
Outstanding	4 years 1 month 6 days	4 years 11 months
Exercisable	3 years 4 months 26 days
Expected to Vest	7 years 6 months 1 day
Aggregate Intrinsic Value
Outstanding	$ 2,378	$ 2,539
Exercisable	2,359
Expected to vest	$ 19
Weighted average grant date fair value (in dollars per share)	$ 2.04	$ 2.82	$ 4.25
Cash received from option exercises	$ 200	$ 600	$ 3,800
Total intrinsic value of options exercised	$ 200	$ 400	$ 2,800