Note 6 - Reportable Segments - Summarized Financial Information for Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	$ 49,942,000	$ 48,655,000
Operating expenses	51,225,000	66,879,000
Income (loss) from operations	(1,283,000)	(18,224,000)
Dividends and interest income	4,965,000	5,380,000
Other income	3,000	38,000
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments, Total	(3,099,000)	(17,715,000)
Gains on sales of marketable securities, net	4,193,000	0
Pretax income	4,226,000	(31,476,000)
Income tax expense	(185,000)	6,260,000
Net income (loss)	4,041,000	(25,216,000)
Total assets	238,575,000	237,376,000
Capital expenditures	184,000	165,000
Net unrealized losses on investments	(3,099,000)	(17,715,000)
Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(119,000)	(93,000)
Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(434,000)	(862,000)
Advertising [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	7,104,000	9,132,000
Subscription and Circulation [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	5,090,000	5,249,000
Advertising Service Fees and Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	2,501,000	2,712,000
License and Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	21,647,000	20,179,000
Consulting Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	7,718,000	5,539,000
Service, Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	5,882,000	5,844,000
Traditional Business [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	14,695,000	17,093,000
Journal Technologies [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	35,247,000	31,562,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member]
Operating expenses	16,425,000	16,981,000
Income (loss) from operations	(1,730,000)	112,000
Dividends and interest income	0	0
Other income	0	0
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments, Total	0	0
Gains on sales of marketable securities, net	0
Pretax income	(1,814,000)	19,000
Income tax expense	685,000	(5,000)
Net income (loss)	(1,129,000)	14,000
Total assets	35,896,000	17,176,000
Capital expenditures	121,000	132,000
Net unrealized losses on investments	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(84,000)	(93,000)
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Advertising [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	7,104,000	9,132,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Subscription and Circulation [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	5,090,000	5,249,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Advertising Service Fees and Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	2,501,000	2,712,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | License and Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Consulting Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Service, Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member]
Operating expenses	34,800,000	49,898,000	[1]
Income (loss) from operations	447,000	(18,336,000)
Dividends and interest income	0	0
Other income	0	0
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments, Total	0	0
Gains on sales of marketable securities, net	0
Pretax income	447,000	(18,336,000)
Income tax expense	100,000	2,450,000
Net income (loss)	547,000	(15,886,000)
Total assets	22,277,000	22,741,000
Capital expenditures	63,000	33,000
Net unrealized losses on investments	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Advertising [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Subscription and Circulation [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Advertising Service Fees and Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | License and Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	21,647,000	20,179,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Consulting Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	7,718,000	5,539,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Service, Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	5,882,000	5,844,000
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Operating expenses	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	0	0
Dividends and interest income	4,965,000	5,380,000
Other income	3,000	38,000
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Investments, Total	(3,099,000)	(17,715,000)
Gains on sales of marketable securities, net	4,193,000
Pretax income	5,593,000	(13,159,000)
Income tax expense	(970,000)	3,815,000
Net income (loss)	4,623,000	(9,344,000)
Total assets	180,402,000	197,459,000
Capital expenditures	0	0
Net unrealized losses on investments	(3,099,000)	(17,715,000)
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(35,000)	0
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(434,000)	(862,000)
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Advertising [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Subscription and Circulation [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Advertising Service Fees and Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | License and Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Consulting Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	0	0
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Service, Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	$ 0	$ 0

[1] included goodwill impairment of $13,400,000