Quarterly Financial Data (unaudited) (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Millions	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 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
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 (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
Basic net earnings (loss) per common share:
Basic net earnings from continuing operation (in dollars per share)	$ 0.54	$ 0.89	$ 0.68	$ 0.79	$ 0.78	$ 0.14	$ 0.73	$ 0.79	$ 2.90	$ 2.46	$ 2.86
Basic net earnings (in dollars per share)	0.56	0.89	0.68	0.79	0.80	3.08	0.77	0.80	2.92	5.38	3.09
Diluted net earnings (loss) per common share:
Diluted net earnings from continuing operations (in dollars per share)	0.53	0.88	0.67	0.78	0.77	0.13	0.72	0.77	2.87	2.41	2.79
Diluted net earnings (in dollars per share)	$ 0.55	$ 0.88	$ 0.67	$ 0.78	$ 0.79	$ 3.03	$ 0.76	$ 0.78	$ 2.89	$ 5.27	$ 3.01
Weighted average number of shares outstanding [Abstract]
Basic weighted average number of common shares outstanding	469	480	490	498	515	532	570	585	484	550	608
Diluted weighted average number of common shares outstanding	474	484	495	506	523	541	581	600	489	561	624
Dividends per common share (in dollars per share)	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.15	$ 0.12	$ 0.12	$ 0.6	$ 0.54	$ 0.48
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)
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
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)
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)
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)
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)
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