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Pending Broadcast Acquisition and Newspaper Spin-off (Details) (USD $)
12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Dec. 31, 2013
Dec. 31, 2012
Mar. 11, 2015
Jul. 30, 2014
newspaper
Sep. 30, 2014
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Acquisition related costs $ 13,974,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts $ 0us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts $ 5,826,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts      
Long-term debt, outstanding 198,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt 200,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt        
Newspaper Operations | E. W. Scripps Company            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Number of markets for daily and community newspapers         13ssp_NumberOfMarketsForDailyAndCommunityNewspapers
/ dei_LegalEntityAxis
= us-gaap_ParentCompanyMember
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ssp_NewspaperOperationsMember
 
Journal Communications, Inc.            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Employee benefit obligations   95,000,000us-gaap_AccruedEmployeeBenefitsCurrentAndNoncurrent
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
       
Long-term debt, outstanding           131,000,000us-gaap_LongTermDebt
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
Long-term debt, to be refinanced           120,000,000ssp_LongtermDebtRefinanced
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
Journal Communications, Inc. | Television Operations            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Percentage of market capture (percent)         18.00%ssp_PercentageOfMarketCapture
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ssp_TelevisionOperationsMember
 
Number of employees         4,000dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ssp_TelevisionOperationsMember
 
Journal Communications, Inc. | Newspaper Operations            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Number of employees         3,600dei_EntityNumberOfEmployees
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_StatementBusinessSegmentsAxis
= ssp_NewspaperOperationsMember
 
Subsequent event | Journal Communications, Inc.            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Cash dividend       60,000,000ssp_BusinessAcquisitionSpecialCashDividend
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
   
Acquisition related costs       10,000,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
   
Liquidation damages for contract termination, default       15,800,000us-gaap_LossOnContractTerminationForDefault
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
   
Subsequent event | Journal Communications, Inc. | Minimum            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Acquisition related costs       25,000,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
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= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
   
Subsequent event | Journal Communications, Inc. | Maximum            
Business Acquisition [Line Items]            
Acquisition related costs       30,000,000us-gaap_BusinessCombinationAcquisitionRelatedCosts
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
   
Liquidation damages for contract termination, default       $ 23,500,000.0us-gaap_LossOnContractTerminationForDefault
/ us-gaap_BusinessAcquisitionAxis
= ssp_JournalCommunicationsInc.Member
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember
/ us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis
= us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember