SEGMENT DATA - Segment Financial Information (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) market	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($) market	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2013 USD ($)
Segment data
Number of markets | market		79								79
Intercompany loans		$ 226,200				$ 172,300				$ 226,200	$ 172,300
Intercompany interest expense										23,100	20,700	$ 20,000
Revenue		611,790	$ 548,404	$ 554,167	$ 504,775	613,818	$ 494,956	$ 455,136	$ 412,648	2,219,136	1,976,558	1,363,131
Depreciation of property and equipment										103,433	103,291	70,554
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										161,454	125,496	70,820
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										124,619	106,629	80,925
General and administrative overhead expenses										64,246	62,495	53,126
Research and development										12,436	6,918	0
Operating income (loss)		124,243	$ 99,606	$ 114,340	$ 84,547	208,949	$ 101,663	$ 103,039	$ 81,000	422,736	494,651	324,020
Interest expense										191,447	174,862	162,937
Income (loss) from equity and cost method investments										964	2,313	621
Goodwill		1,931,093				1,964,553				1,931,093	1,964,553	1,380,082
Assets	[1]	5,432,315				5,410,328				5,432,315	5,410,328
Capital expenditures										91,421	81,458	43,388
Broadcast
Segment data
Goodwill		1,927,605				1,964,040				1,927,605	1,964,040	1,376,594
Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Goodwill		3,488				513				3,488	513	3,488
Operating segments | Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue										2,118,021	1,904,776	1,306,187
Depreciation of property and equipment										99,616	99,823	67,320
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										152,049	118,654	65,786
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										124,619	106,629	80,925
General and administrative overhead expenses										55,848	55,837	47,272
Research and development										0	0
Operating income (loss)										451,015	511,783	329,312
Interest expense										0	0	0
Income (loss) from equity and cost method investments											0	0
Goodwill		1,927,705				1,964,041				1,927,705	1,964,041
Assets		4,838,531				4,940,870				4,838,531	4,940,870
Capital expenditures										74,902	78,865
Operating segments | Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Revenue										101,115	71,782	56,944
Depreciation of property and equipment										2,753	2,350	1,891
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										9,405	6,842	5,034
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										0	0	0
General and administrative overhead expenses										2,952	1,315	1,350
Research and development										12,436	6,918
Operating income (loss)										(21,800)	(10,671)	555
Interest expense										4,955	4,042	3,251
Income (loss) from equity and cost method investments										964	2,313	621
Goodwill		3,388				512				3,388	512
Assets		415,278				355,832				415,278	355,832
Capital expenditures										8,909	2,593
Corporate
Segment data
Revenue										0	0	0
Depreciation of property and equipment										1,064	1,118	1,343
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										0	0	0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										0	0	0
General and administrative overhead expenses										5,446	5,343	4,504
Research and development										0	0
Operating income (loss)										(6,479)	(6,461)	(5,847)
Interest expense										186,492	170,820	159,686
Income (loss) from equity and cost method investments										0	0	$ 0
Goodwill		0				0				0	0
Assets		$ 178,506				$ 113,626				178,506	113,626
Capital expenditures										$ 7,610	$ 0

[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.