Reportable Segments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009
Reportable Segments Details [Abstract]
Interest expense									$ (436,000,000)	$ (529,000,000)	$ (542,000,000)
Interest income									7,000,000	6,000,000	6,000,000
Gain (loss) on early extinguishment of debt									0	(81,000,000)	(30,000,000)
Other items, net									(17,000,000)	10,000,000	(2,000,000)
Earnings (loss) before income taxes and equity in earnings (loss) of investee companies									2,083,000,000	1,222,000,000	443,000,000
(Provision) benefit for income taxes									(755,000,000)	(463,000,000)	(183,000,000)
Equity in loss of investee companies, net of tax									(37,000,000)	(35,000,000)	(33,000,000)
Net earnings (loss) from continuing operations	356,000,000	338,000,000	395,000,000	202,000,000					1,291,000,000	724,000,000	227,000,000
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations before income taxes									23,000,000	0	0
(Provision) benefit for income taxes for discontinued operations									(9,000,000)	0	0
Net earnings (loss) from discontinued operations									14,000,000	0	0
Net earnings (loss)	370,000,000	338,000,000	395,000,000	202,000,000	283,000,000	317,000,000	150,000,000	(26,000,000)	1,305,000,000	724,000,000	227,000,000
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Revenues	3,784,000,000	3,365,000,000	3,586,000,000	3,510,000,000	3,901,000,000	3,297,000,000	3,331,000,000	3,531,000,000	14,245,000,000	14,060,000,000	13,015,000,000
Total Intercompany Revenues									203,000,000	198,000,000	185,000,000
OIBDA before Impairment Charges	791,000,000	837,000,000	873,000,000	576,000,000	756,000,000	750,000,000	579,000,000	294,000,000	3,077,000,000	2,379,000,000	1,804,000,000
Total operating income (loss)	655,000,000	703,000,000	734,000,000	437,000,000	617,000,000	611,000,000	435,000,000	153,000,000	2,529,000,000	1,816,000,000	1,011,000,000
Total depreciation and amortization	136,000,000	134,000,000	139,000,000	139,000,000	139,000,000	139,000,000	144,000,000	141,000,000	548,000,000	563,000,000	583,000,000
Impairment charges									0	0	210,000,000
Total Stock-based Compensation									140,000,000	136,000,000	136,000,000
Total capital expenditures									265,000,000	284,000,000	262,000,000
Total Assets	26,197,000,000				26,143,000,000				26,197,000,000	26,143,000,000
Revenues by Type:
Advertising									9,007,000,000	9,153,000,000	8,172,000,000
Content Licensing And Distribution Revenues									3,254,000,000	3,071,000,000	3,120,000,000
Affiliate and subscription fees									1,744,000,000	1,598,000,000	1,462,000,000
Other Revenues									240,000,000	238,000,000	261,000,000
Revenues by Geographic Area
Revenues from external customers, United States									12,055,000,000	11,984,000,000	11,154,000,000
Revenues from external customers, International									2,190,000,000	2,076,000,000	1,861,000,000
Long-lived Assets:
Long-lived Assets, United States	19,840,000,000				19,880,000,000				19,840,000,000	19,880,000,000
Long-lived Assets, International	695,000,000				754,000,000				695,000,000	754,000,000
Total Long-lived Assets	20,535,000,000				20,634,000,000				20,535,000,000	20,634,000,000
Entertainment Segment [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Revenues									7,457,000,000	7,391,000,000	6,977,000,000
Total Intercompany Revenues									160,000,000	157,000,000	144,000,000
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									1,391,000,000	871,000,000	876,000,000
Total operating income (loss)									1,231,000,000	708,000,000	700,000,000
Total depreciation and amortization									160,000,000	163,000,000	176,000,000
Total Stock-based Compensation									45,000,000	43,000,000	44,000,000
Total capital expenditures									94,000,000	90,000,000	72,000,000
Total Assets	8,471,000,000				8,324,000,000				8,471,000,000	8,324,000,000
Cable Networks Segment [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Revenues									1,621,000,000	1,475,000,000	1,347,000,000
Total Intercompany Revenues									1,000,000	0	1,000,000
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									707,000,000	566,000,000	461,000,000
Total operating income (loss)									684,000,000	543,000,000	437,000,000
Total depreciation and amortization									23,000,000	23,000,000	24,000,000
Total Stock-based Compensation									4,000,000	5,000,000	6,000,000
Total capital expenditures									15,000,000	19,000,000	8,000,000
Total Assets	1,679,000,000				1,650,000,000				1,679,000,000	1,650,000,000
Publishing Segment [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Revenues									787,000,000	791,000,000	793,000,000
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									90,000,000	68,000,000	50,000,000
Total operating income (loss)									83,000,000	61,000,000	43,000,000
Total depreciation and amortization									7,000,000	7,000,000	7,000,000
Total Stock-based Compensation									3,000,000	3,000,000	4,000,000
Total capital expenditures									7,000,000	6,000,000	5,000,000
Total Assets	1,091,000,000				1,126,000,000				1,091,000,000	1,126,000,000
Local Broadcasting Segment [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Revenues									2,689,000,000	2,782,000,000	2,360,000,000
Total Intercompany Revenues									20,000,000	22,000,000	20,000,000
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									849,000,000	840,000,000	513,000,000
Total operating income (loss)									750,000,000	740,000,000	212,000,000
Total depreciation and amortization									99,000,000	100,000,000	91,000,000
Impairment charges									0	0	210,000,000
Total Stock-based Compensation									22,000,000	20,000,000	21,000,000
Total capital expenditures									69,000,000	74,000,000	71,000,000
Total Assets	9,626,000,000				9,686,000,000				9,626,000,000	9,686,000,000
Outdoor Segment [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Revenues									1,894,000,000	1,819,000,000	1,723,000,000
Total Intercompany Revenues									22,000,000	19,000,000	20,000,000
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									342,000,000	263,000,000	169,000,000
Total operating income (loss)									107,000,000	14,000,000	(97,000,000)
Total depreciation and amortization									235,000,000	249,000,000	266,000,000
Total Stock-based Compensation									6,000,000	5,000,000	6,000,000
Total capital expenditures									66,000,000	78,000,000	91,000,000
Total Assets	4,092,000,000				4,256,000,000				4,092,000,000	4,256,000,000
Corporate [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									(228,000,000)	(218,000,000)	(147,000,000)
Total operating income (loss)									(252,000,000)	(239,000,000)	(166,000,000)
Total depreciation and amortization									24,000,000	21,000,000	19,000,000
Total Stock-based Compensation									60,000,000	60,000,000	55,000,000
Total capital expenditures									14,000,000	17,000,000	15,000,000
Total Assets	1,262,000,000				1,094,000,000				1,262,000,000	1,094,000,000
Residual Costs [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									(75,000,000)	(15,000,000)	(116,000,000)
Total operating income (loss)									(75,000,000)	(15,000,000)	(116,000,000)
Eliminations [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Revenues									(203,000,000)	(198,000,000)	(185,000,000)
OIBDA before Impairment Charges									1,000,000	4,000,000	(2,000,000)
Total operating income (loss)									1,000,000	4,000,000	(2,000,000)
Total Assets	(101,000,000)				(70,000,000)				(101,000,000)	(70,000,000)
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Reportable Segments [Line Items]
Total Assets	$ 77,000,000				$ 77,000,000				$ 77,000,000	$ 77,000,000