NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Variable Interest Entities Balance Sheet Disclosure (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 149,972	$ 17,682	$ 280,104	$ 22,865
Accounts receivable		424,608	383,503
Current portion of program contract costs		91,466	88,198
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		26,903	27,842
Total current assets		701,763	526,165
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion		18,996	38,531
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		717,137	752,538
GOODWILL		1,931,093	1,964,553	$ 1,380,082
BROADCAST LICENSES		132,465	135,075
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net		1,751,570	1,818,263
OTHER ASSETS		175,566	175,203
Total assets	[1]	5,432,315	5,410,328
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		251,313	260,848
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing		164,184	113,116
Current portion of program contracts payable		108,260	104,922
Total current liabilities		535,003	487,317
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		3,669,160	3,754,822
Program contracts payable, less current portion		56,921	60,605
Other long-term liabilities		68,631	77,000
Total liabilities		4,932,637	5,004,985
Consolidated VIEs, aggregated
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents		490	491
Accounts receivable		21,719	19,521
Current portion of program contract costs		13,287	9,544
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		331	297
Total current assets		35,827	29,853
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion		4,541	6,922
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		7,609	9,716
GOODWILL		787	787
BROADCAST LICENSES		17,599	16,935
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net		79,086	96,732
OTHER ASSETS		6,924	2,376
Total assets		152,373	163,321
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		1,240	1,365
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing		3,687	3,659
Current portion of program contracts payable		12,627	9,714
Total current liabilities		17,554	14,738
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		24,594	28,640
Program contracts payable, less current portion		13,679	10,161
Other long-term liabilities		8,067	8,739
Total liabilities		$ 63,894	$ 62,278

[1] (a) Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $152.4 million and $163.3 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2015 and 2014 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $35.6 million and $30.0 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.