Note 12 - Operating Segments - Summarized Financial Information for Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017
Advertising	$ 2,116,000	$ 2,310,000
Circulation	1,363,000	1,449,000
Advertising service fees and other	602,000	638,000
Licensing and maintenance fees	4,350,000	3,966,000
Consulting fees	995,000	848,000
Other public service fees	826,000	779,000
Operating expenses	13,697,000	12,843,000
Income (loss) from operations	(3,445,000)	(2,853,000)
Dividends and interest income	1,483,000	1,171,000
Gain on sale of capital asset	2,000
Other income	9,000	15,000
Pretax (loss) income	(2,111,000)	(1,781,000)
Income tax benefit (expense)	16,850,000	310,000
Net income (loss)	14,739,000	(1,471,000)
Total assets	289,890,000	248,761,000	$ 280,708,000
Capital expenditures	34,000	187,000
Amortization of intangible assets	1,062,000	1,224,000
Loss from operations	(3,445,000)	(2,853,000)
Interest expense accrued for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits		(9,000)
Capital expenditures	34,000	187,000
Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(24,000)	(26,000)
Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(136,000)	(79,000)
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member]
Advertising	2,116,000	2,310,000
Circulation	1,363,000	1,449,000
Advertising service fees and other	602,000	638,000
Licensing and maintenance fees
Consulting fees
Other public service fees
Operating expenses	4,314,000	4,400,000
Income (loss) from operations	(233,000)	(3,000)
Dividends and interest income
Gain on sale of capital asset
Other income		15,000
Pretax (loss) income	(257,000)	(14,000)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(680,000)
Net income (loss)	(937,000)	(14,000)
Total assets	18,188,000	14,294,000
Capital expenditures	34,000	160,000
Amortization of intangible assets
Loss from operations	(233,000)	(3,000)
Interest expense accrued for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits
Capital expenditures	34,000	160,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(24,000)	(26,000)
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member]
Advertising
Circulation
Advertising service fees and other
Licensing and maintenance fees	4,350,000	3,966,000
Consulting fees	995,000	848,000
Other public service fees	826,000	779,000
Operating expenses	9,383,000	8,443,000
Income (loss) from operations	(3,212,000)	(2,850,000)
Dividends and interest income
Gain on sale of capital asset
Other income
Pretax (loss) income	(3,212,000)	(2,859,000)
Income tax benefit (expense)	(2,185,000)	775,000
Net income (loss)	(5,397,000)	(2,084,000)
Total assets	26,768,000	37,981,000
Capital expenditures		27,000
Amortization of intangible assets	1,062,000	1,224,000
Loss from operations	(3,212,000)	(2,850,000)
Interest expense accrued for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits		(9,000)
Capital expenditures		27,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Advertising
Circulation
Advertising service fees and other
Licensing and maintenance fees
Consulting fees
Other public service fees
Operating expenses
Income (loss) from operations
Dividends and interest income	1,483,000	1,171,000
Gain on sale of capital asset	2,000
Other income	9,000
Pretax (loss) income	1,358,000	1,092,000
Income tax benefit (expense)	19,715,000	(465,000)
Net income (loss)	21,073,000	627,000
Total assets	244,934,000	196,486,000
Capital expenditures
Amortization of intangible assets
Loss from operations
Interest expense accrued for uncertain and unrecognized tax benefits
Capital expenditures
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	$ (136,000)	$ (79,000)