Note 11 - Operating Segments - Summarized Financial Information for Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	$ 10,420,000	$ 11,677,000
Operating expenses	10,735,000	13,195,000
Income (loss) from operations	(315,000)	(1,518,000)
Dividends and interest income	638,000	1,680,000
Net unrealized gains on marketable securities	81,212,000	19,531,000
Interest expense on debt	(64,000)
Pretax income (loss)	81,450,000	19,490,000
Provision for income taxes	(22,180,000)	(5,280,000)
Net income	59,270,000	14,210,000
Total assets	303,343,000	254,859,000	$ 238,575,000
Capital expenditures	(0)	97,000
Other income	0	3,000
Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(21,000)	(22,000)
Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(64,000)	(184,000)
Advertising [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,692,000	2,126,000
Subscription and Circulation [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,203,000	1,312,000
Advertising Service Fees and Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	634,000	694,000
License and Maintenance [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	5,033,000	5,210,000
Consulting Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	244,000	689,000
Service, Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,614,000	1,646,000
Traditional Business [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	3,529,000	4,132,000
Journal Technologies [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	6,891,000	7,545,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member]
Operating expenses	2,981,000	3,858,000
Income (loss) from operations	548,000	274,000
Dividends and interest income	0	0
Net unrealized gains on marketable securities	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0
Pretax income (loss)	527,000	252,000
Provision for income taxes	(105,000)	(30,000)
Net income	422,000	222,000
Total assets	21,799,000	17,541,000
Capital expenditures	0	35,000
Other income		0
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	(21,000)	(22,000)
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt		0
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Advertising [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,692,000	2,126,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Subscription and Circulation [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,203,000	1,312,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Traditional Business [Member] | Advertising Service Fees and Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	634,000	694,000
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	7,754,000	9,337,000
Income (loss) from operations	(863,000)	(1,792,000)
Dividends and interest income	0	0
Net unrealized gains on marketable securities	0	0
Interest expense on debt	0
Pretax income (loss)	(863,000)	(1,792,000)
Provision for income taxes	405,000	510,000
Net income	(458,000)	(1,282,000)
Total assets	19,923,000	20,993,000
Capital expenditures	0	62,000
Other income		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
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	5,033,000	5,210,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Consulting Fees [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	244,000	689,000
Operating Segments [Member] | Journal Technologies [Member] | Service, Other [Member]
Revenue from Contract with Customer, Including Assessed Tax	1,614,000	1,646,000
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member]
Operating expenses	0	0
Income (loss) from operations	0	0
Dividends and interest income	638,000	1,680,000
Net unrealized gains on marketable securities	81,212,000	19,531,000
Interest expense on debt	(64,000)
Pretax income (loss)	81,786,000	21,030,000
Provision for income taxes	(22,480,000)	(5,760,000)
Net income	59,306,000	15,270,000
Total assets	261,621,000	216,325,000
Capital expenditures	0	0
Other income		3,000
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Real Estate Bank Loan Secured by Logan Office [Member]
Interest expense on debt	0	0
Corporate, Non-Segment [Member] | Margin Account [Member]
Interest expense on debt		(184,000)
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