Reportable Segments (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2015	Sep. 30, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Interest expense									$ (392,000,000)	$ (363,000,000)	$ (375,000,000)
Interest income									24,000,000	13,000,000	8,000,000
Loss on early extinguishment of debt (Note 9)									0	(352,000,000)	0
Other items, net									(26,000,000)	(30,000,000)	7,000,000
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of investee companies									2,023,000,000	2,164,000,000	2,665,000,000
(Provision) benefit for income taxes									(587,000,000)	(762,000,000)	(878,000,000)
Equity in loss of investee companies, net of tax									(33,000,000)	(48,000,000)	(49,000,000)
Net earnings from continuing operations	$ 251,000,000	$ 426,000,000	$ 332,000,000	$ 394,000,000	$ 402,000,000	$ 72,000,000	$ 418,000,000	$ 462,000,000	1,403,000,000	1,354,000,000	1,738,000,000
Net earnings from discontinued operations, net of tax (Note 4)									10,000,000	1,605,000,000	141,000,000
Net earnings (loss)	261,000,000	426,000,000	332,000,000	394,000,000	413,000,000	1,639,000,000	439,000,000	468,000,000	1,413,000,000	2,959,000,000	1,879,000,000
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	3,910,000,000	3,257,000,000	3,219,000,000	3,500,000,000	3,681,000,000	3,367,000,000	3,188,000,000	3,570,000,000	13,886,000,000	13,806,000,000	14,005,000,000
Operating income (loss)	357,000,000	753,000,000	586,000,000	721,000,000	707,000,000	668,000,000	730,000,000	791,000,000	2,417,000,000	2,896,000,000	3,025,000,000
Restructuring charges									(81,000,000)	(26,000,000)	(20,000,000)
Impairment charges									(484,000,000)	(52,000,000)	0
Gain on sales of businesses									139,000,000	0	0
Depreciation and amortization									264,000,000	281,000,000	290,000,000
Stock-based compensation									174,000,000	154,000,000	222,000,000
Capital expenditures									193,000,000	206,000,000	212,000,000
Total assets	23,765,000,000				23,935,000,000				23,765,000,000	23,935,000,000
Long-Lived Assets	17,732,000,000				18,176,000,000				17,732,000,000	18,176,000,000
Revenues by Type [Abstract]
Advertising									7,018,000,000	7,204,000,000	7,525,000,000
Content licensing and distribution									3,903,000,000	3,990,000,000	3,997,000,000
Affiliate and subscription fees									2,724,000,000	2,362,000,000	2,221,000,000
Other revenues									241,000,000	250,000,000	262,000,000
United States [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									11,882,000,000	12,013,000,000	12,178,000,000
Long-Lived Assets	17,375,000,000				17,848,000,000				17,375,000,000	17,848,000,000
International [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									2,004,000,000	1,793,000,000	1,827,000,000
Long-Lived Assets	357,000,000				328,000,000				357,000,000	328,000,000
Operating segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)	747,000,000	753,000,000	641,000,000	702,000,000	707,000,000	746,000,000	730,000,000	791,000,000	2,843,000,000	2,974,000,000	3,045,000,000
Operating segments [Member] | Entertainment Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	2,460,000,000	1,932,000,000	1,785,000,000	2,261,000,000	2,260,000,000	1,911,000,000	1,835,000,000	2,303,000,000	8,438,000,000	8,309,000,000	8,645,000,000
Operating income (loss)	347,000,000	339,000,000	262,000,000	346,000,000	253,000,000	302,000,000	341,000,000	420,000,000	1,294,000,000	1,316,000,000	1,605,000,000
Restructuring charges									(26,000,000)	(8,000,000)
Depreciation and amortization									126,000,000	139,000,000	153,000,000
Stock-based compensation									61,000,000	56,000,000	56,000,000
Capital expenditures									99,000,000	94,000,000	101,000,000
Total assets	10,910,000,000				10,580,000,000				10,910,000,000	10,580,000,000
Operating segments [Member] | Cable Networks Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	562,000,000	526,000,000	615,000,000	539,000,000	499,000,000	624,000,000	516,000,000	537,000,000	2,242,000,000	2,176,000,000	2,069,000,000
Operating income (loss)	228,000,000	246,000,000	220,000,000	251,000,000	241,000,000	266,000,000	213,000,000	254,000,000	945,000,000	974,000,000	878,000,000
Depreciation and amortization									23,000,000	23,000,000	20,000,000
Stock-based compensation									11,000,000	9,000,000	8,000,000
Capital expenditures									18,000,000	16,000,000	16,000,000
Total assets	2,369,000,000				2,131,000,000				2,369,000,000	2,131,000,000
Operating segments [Member] | Publishing Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	233,000,000	203,000,000	199,000,000	145,000,000	215,000,000	199,000,000	211,000,000	153,000,000	780,000,000	778,000,000	809,000,000
Operating income (loss)	34,000,000	43,000,000	25,000,000	12,000,000	25,000,000	42,000,000	23,000,000	11,000,000	114,000,000	101,000,000	107,000,000
Restructuring charges										(1,000,000)
Depreciation and amortization									6,000,000	6,000,000	6,000,000
Stock-based compensation									4,000,000	4,000,000	4,000,000
Capital expenditures									10,000,000	4,000,000	4,000,000
Total assets	880,000,000				877,000,000				880,000,000	877,000,000
Operating segments [Member] | Local Broadcasting Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	719,000,000	638,000,000	654,000,000	596,000,000	785,000,000	680,000,000	665,000,000	626,000,000	2,607,000,000	2,756,000,000	2,696,000,000
Operating income (loss)	232,000,000	174,000,000	198,000,000	161,000,000	292,000,000	192,000,000	215,000,000	179,000,000	765,000,000	878,000,000	812,000,000
Restructuring charges									(55,000,000)	(14,000,000)
Depreciation and amortization									79,000,000	87,000,000	86,000,000
Stock-based compensation									28,000,000	28,000,000	27,000,000
Capital expenditures									50,000,000	65,000,000	64,000,000
Total assets	9,105,000,000				9,575,000,000				9,105,000,000	9,575,000,000
Corporate and Other [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating income (loss)	(94,000,000)	(49,000,000)	(64,000,000)	(68,000,000)	(104,000,000)	(56,000,000)	(62,000,000)	(73,000,000)	(275,000,000)	(295,000,000)	(357,000,000)
Depreciation and amortization									30,000,000	26,000,000	25,000,000
Stock-based compensation									70,000,000	57,000,000	127,000,000
Capital expenditures									16,000,000	27,000,000	27,000,000
Total assets	476,000,000				733,000,000				476,000,000	733,000,000
Corporate and Eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	(64,000,000)	(42,000,000)	(34,000,000)	(41,000,000)	(78,000,000)	(47,000,000)	(39,000,000)	(49,000,000)	(181,000,000)	(213,000,000)	(214,000,000)
Intersegment eliminations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									(193,000,000)	(225,000,000)	(225,000,000)
Intersegment eliminations [Member] | Entertainment Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									(178,000,000)	(206,000,000)	(208,000,000)
Intersegment eliminations [Member] | Cable Networks Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									0	(1,000,000)	0
Intersegment eliminations [Member] | Local Broadcasting Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues									(15,000,000)	(18,000,000)	(17,000,000)
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Total assets	25,000,000				39,000,000				25,000,000	39,000,000
Segment reconciling items [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Restructuring charges	(26,000,000)	0	(55,000,000)	0	0	(26,000,000)	0	0	(81,000,000)	(26,000,000)	(20,000,000)
Impairment charges	(484,000,000)	0	0	0	$ 0	$ (52,000,000)	$ 0	$ 0	(484,000,000)	$ (52,000,000)	$ 0
Gain on sales of businesses	$ 120,000,000	$ 0	$ 0	$ 19,000,000					$ 139,000,000