Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements (Statement of Operations) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 3,257	$ 2,976	$ 6,600	$ 6,564
Costs and expenses:
Operating	2,004	1,758	4,078	4,030
Selling, general and administrative	528	510	1,038	1,013
Depreciation and amortization	56	57	111	114
Other operating items, net	0	0	0	(9)
Total costs and expenses	2,588	2,325	5,227	5,148
Operating income (loss)	669	651	1,373	1,416
Interest (expense) income, net	(96)	(92)	(192)	(185)
Other items, net	5	(4)	6	(7)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of investee companies	578	555	1,187	1,224
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(169)	(173)	(307)	(379)
Equity in loss of investee companies, net of tax	(12)	(9)	(29)	(30)
Net earnings from continuing operations	397	373	851	815
Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(339)	50	(1,045)	81
Net earnings (loss)	58	423	(194)	896
Total comprehensive income (loss)	70	432	(168)	916
Eliminations [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	0	0	0	0
Costs and expenses:
Operating	0	0	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	0	0	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0
Other operating items, net				0
Total costs and expenses	0	0	0	0
Operating income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Interest (expense) income, net	0	0	0	0
Other items, net	0	0	0	0
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of investee companies	0	0	0	0
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Equity in loss of investee companies, net of tax	(488)	(798)	(677)	(1,611)
Net earnings from continuing operations	(488)	(798)	(677)	(1,611)
Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	(488)	(798)	(677)	(1,611)
Total comprehensive income (loss)	(492)	(796)	(685)	(1,615)
CBS Corp. [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	42	36	84	83
Costs and expenses:
Operating	22	15	46	32
Selling, general and administrative	23	21	43	42
Depreciation and amortization	1	1	2	2
Other operating items, net				0
Total costs and expenses	46	37	91	76
Operating income (loss)	(4)	(1)	(7)	7
Interest (expense) income, net	(127)	(124)	(249)	(248)
Other items, net	1	(1)	1	(2)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of investee companies	(130)	(126)	(255)	(243)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	39	40	77	77
Equity in loss of investee companies, net of tax	149	509	(16)	1,062
Net earnings from continuing operations	58	423	(194)	896
Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	58	423	(194)	896
Total comprehensive income (loss)	70	432	(168)	916
CBS Operations Inc. [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	2	3	5	6
Costs and expenses:
Operating	2	2	3	3
Selling, general and administrative	68	66	132	132
Depreciation and amortization	6	6	12	11
Other operating items, net				0
Total costs and expenses	76	74	147	146
Operating income (loss)	(74)	(71)	(142)	(140)
Interest (expense) income, net	(120)	(106)	(237)	(210)
Other items, net	(12)	13	(25)	3
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of investee companies	(206)	(164)	(404)	(347)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	62	51	122	110
Equity in loss of investee companies, net of tax	339	289	693	549
Net earnings from continuing operations	195	176	411	312
Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	0	0	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	195	176	411	312
Total comprehensive income (loss)	190	185	404	325
Non-Guarantor Affiliates [Member]
Condensed Income Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Revenues	3,213	2,937	6,511	6,475
Costs and expenses:
Operating	1,980	1,741	4,029	3,995
Selling, general and administrative	437	423	863	839
Depreciation and amortization	49	50	97	101
Other operating items, net				(9)
Total costs and expenses	2,466	2,214	4,989	4,926
Operating income (loss)	747	723	1,522	1,549
Interest (expense) income, net	151	138	294	273
Other items, net	16	(16)	30	(8)
Earnings (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of investee companies	914	845	1,846	1,814
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(270)	(264)	(506)	(566)
Equity in loss of investee companies, net of tax	(12)	(9)	(29)	(30)
Net earnings from continuing operations	632	572	1,311	1,218
Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, net of tax	(339)	50	(1,045)	81
Net earnings (loss)	293	622	266	1,299
Total comprehensive income (loss)	$ 302	$ 611	$ 281	$ 1,290