Regulatory, Legal and Other Matters	9 Months Ended
Nov. 30, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Regulatory, Legal and Other Matters	Regulatory, Legal and Other Matters Emmis is a party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management of the company, however, there are no legal proceedings pending against the company that we believe are likely to have a material adverse effect on the company. Emmis and certain of its officers and directors were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed April 16, 2012 by certain holders of Preferred Stock (the “Lock-Up Group”) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana entitled Corre Opportunities Fund, LP, et al. v. Emmis Communications Corporation, et al (the "Lawsuit"). The plaintiffs alleged, among other things, that Emmis and the other defendants violated various provisions of the federal securities laws and breached fiduciary duties in connection with Emmis’ entry into total return swap agreements and voting agreements with certain holders of Emmis Preferred Stock, as well as by issuing shares of Preferred Stock to Emmis’ 2012 Retention Plan and Trust (the “Trust”) and entering into a voting agreement with the trustee of the Trust. The plaintiffs also alleged that Emmis violated certain provisions of Indiana corporate law by directing the voting of the shares of Preferred Stock subject to the total return swap agreements (the “Swap Shares”) and the shares of Preferred Stock held by the Trust (the “Trust Shares”) in favor of certain amendments to Emmis’ Articles of Incorporation. Emmis filed an answer denying the material allegations of the complaint, and filed a counterclaim seeking a declaratory judgment that Emmis could legally direct the voting of the Swap Shares and the Trust Shares in favor of the proposed amendments. On August 31, 2012, the U.S. District Court denied the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction. Plaintiffs subsequently filed an amended complaint seeking monetary damages and dismissing all claims against the individual officer and director defendants. On February 28, 2014, the U.S. District Court issued a ruling in favor of Emmis on all counts. In March 2014, the Plaintiffs filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit an appeal of the U.S. District Court's decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit heard oral arguments in this case on December 5, 2014, and on July 2, 2015, unanimously affirmed the U.S. District Court's ruling. On December 4, 2015, Emmis entered into a settlement agreement with the Lock-Up Group to settle any and all remaining issues with respect to the Lawsuit described above. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, (i) the Company is withdrawing its bill of costs with respect to certain reimbursable expenses in the Lawsuit; (ii) the Company agreed to submit to a vote of its shareholders, and the Lock-Up Group and Jeffrey H. Smulyan agreed to vote in favor of, an amendment to Exhibit A to the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the “Terms”) to amend the terms of the Company’s Series A Non-Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) to (A) change the voluntary conversion ratio to permit holders of Preferred Stock to convert their shares of Preferred Stock into Class A Common Stock at a ratio of 2.80 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock for each share of Preferred Stock, and (B) provide that all shares of Preferred Stock shall automatically convert into shares of Class A Common Stock at a ratio of 2.80 shares of Class A Common Stock for each share of Preferred Stock on the fifth business day after the delisting of the Preferred Stock by The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq"); and (iii) both the Company and the Lock-Up Group will release each other from claims related to the Lawsuit. Under the current Terms, the Preferred Stock is voluntarily convertible into shares of Class A Common Stock at a ratio of 2.44 shares of Class A Common Stock for each class of Preferred Stock, and there is no provision for mandatory conversion. Additionally, the Preferred Stock is subject to a deficiency notice from Nasdaq and is expected to be delisted after February 17, 2016 assuming the preferred stock continues to not meet the Nasdaq standards for continued listing (see Note 10 for more discussion). The value associated with the increase to the conversion ratio will be accounted for upon the effective date of the amendment to the Terms, which is expected to occur during the quarter ending February 29, 2016, and is expected to result in a decrease of approximately $0.2 million to earnings available to common shareholders. On July 7, 2014, individuals who had been seeking to overturn the FCC’s approval of the transfer of the broadcast licenses for WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM from entities associated with Inner City Broadcasting to YMF (the entities that subsequently sold the two stations to Emmis) filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit a Notice of Appeal of the FCC’s approval of the transfer. Additionally, in March 2015, an individual filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court of New York challenging the transfer of the assets of WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM from Inner City to YMF, and claimed that Emmis had exerted undue influence in securing the FCC's consent to the transfer of the FCC licenses of WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM from YMF to Emmis. Based upon the facts alleged in the cases and the extensive precedent of courts not overturning FCC approvals of transfers of broadcast licenses except in exceedingly rare circumstances, Emmis believes the appeal and the claims in the lawsuit are without merit. Certain groups and individuals have challenged an application for renewal of one of Company's FCC licenses. This challenge is currently pending before the FCC. Emmis does not expect the challenge to result in the denial of our license renewal.

Regulatory, Legal and Other Matters

Emmis is a party to various legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management of the company, however, there are no legal proceedings pending against the company that we believe are likely to have a material adverse effect on the company.

Emmis and certain of its officers and directors were named as defendants in a lawsuit filed April 16, 2012 by certain holders of Preferred Stock (the “Lock-Up Group”) in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana entitled Corre Opportunities Fund, LP, et al. v. Emmis Communications Corporation, et al (the "Lawsuit"). The plaintiffs alleged, among other things, that Emmis and the other defendants violated various provisions of the federal securities laws and breached fiduciary duties in connection with Emmis’ entry into total return swap agreements and voting agreements with certain holders of Emmis Preferred Stock, as well as by issuing shares of Preferred Stock to Emmis’ 2012 Retention Plan and Trust (the “Trust”) and entering into a voting agreement with the trustee of the Trust. The plaintiffs also alleged that Emmis violated certain provisions of Indiana corporate law by directing the voting of the shares of Preferred Stock subject to the total return swap agreements (the “Swap Shares”) and the shares of Preferred Stock held by the Trust (the “Trust Shares”) in favor of certain amendments to Emmis’ Articles of Incorporation.

Emmis filed an answer denying the material allegations of the complaint, and filed a counterclaim seeking a declaratory judgment that Emmis could legally direct the voting of the Swap Shares and the Trust Shares in favor of the proposed amendments.

On August 31, 2012, the U.S. District Court denied the plaintiffs' request for a preliminary injunction. Plaintiffs subsequently filed an amended complaint seeking monetary damages and dismissing all claims against the individual officer and director defendants. On February 28, 2014, the U.S. District Court issued a ruling in favor of Emmis on all counts. In March 2014, the Plaintiffs filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit an appeal of the U.S. District Court's decision. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit heard oral arguments in this case on December 5, 2014, and on July 2, 2015, unanimously affirmed the U.S. District Court's ruling.

On December 4, 2015, Emmis entered into a settlement agreement with the Lock-Up Group to settle any and all remaining issues with respect to the Lawsuit described above. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, (i) the Company is withdrawing its bill of costs with respect to certain reimbursable expenses in the Lawsuit; (ii) the Company agreed to submit to a vote of its shareholders, and the Lock-Up Group and Jeffrey H. Smulyan agreed to vote in favor of, an amendment to Exhibit A to the Company’s Second Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation (the “Terms”) to amend the terms of the Company’s Series A Non-Cumulative Convertible Preferred Stock (the “Preferred Stock”) to (A) change the voluntary conversion ratio to permit holders of Preferred Stock to convert their shares of Preferred Stock into Class A Common Stock at a ratio of 2.80 shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock for each share of Preferred Stock, and (B) provide that all shares of Preferred Stock shall automatically convert into shares of Class A Common Stock at a ratio of 2.80 shares of Class A Common Stock for each share of Preferred Stock on the fifth business day after the delisting of the Preferred Stock by The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("Nasdaq"); and (iii) both the Company and the Lock-Up Group will release each other from claims related to the Lawsuit. Under the current Terms, the Preferred Stock is voluntarily convertible into shares of Class A Common Stock at a ratio of 2.44 shares of Class A Common Stock for each class of Preferred Stock, and there is no provision for mandatory conversion. Additionally, the Preferred Stock is subject to a deficiency notice from Nasdaq and is expected to be delisted after February 17, 2016 assuming the preferred stock continues to not meet the Nasdaq standards for continued listing (see Note 10 for more discussion). The value associated with the increase to the conversion ratio will be accounted for upon the effective date of the amendment to the Terms, which is expected to occur during the quarter ending February 29, 2016, and is expected to result in a decrease of approximately $0.2 million to earnings available to common shareholders.

On July 7, 2014, individuals who had been seeking to overturn the FCC’s approval of the transfer of the broadcast licenses for WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM from entities associated with Inner City Broadcasting to YMF (the entities that subsequently sold the two stations to Emmis) filed with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit a Notice of Appeal of the FCC’s approval of the transfer. Additionally, in March 2015, an individual filed a lawsuit in the Federal District Court of New York challenging the transfer of the assets of WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM from Inner City to YMF, and claimed that Emmis had exerted undue influence in securing the FCC's consent to the transfer of the FCC licenses of WBLS-FM and WLIB-AM from YMF to Emmis. Based upon the facts alleged in the cases and the extensive precedent of courts not overturning FCC approvals of transfers of broadcast licenses except in exceedingly rare circumstances, Emmis believes the appeal and the claims in the lawsuit are without merit.

Certain groups and individuals have challenged an application for renewal of one of Company's FCC licenses. This challenge is currently pending before the FCC. Emmis does not expect the challenge to result in the denial of our license renewal.