NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 141,524	$ 149,972	$ 57,843	$ 17,682
Accounts receivable		417,060	424,608
Current portion of program contract costs		62,704	91,466
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		52,093	26,903
Total current assets		682,532	701,763
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion		14,543	18,996
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		723,762	717,137
GOODWILL		2,081,936	1,931,093
INDEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS		167,075	132,465
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net		1,861,444	1,751,570
OTHER ASSETS		212,906	175,566
Total assets	[1]	5,747,198	5,432,315
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing		168,388	164,184
Current portion of program contracts payable		85,779	108,260
Total current liabilities		537,706	535,003
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		3,998,674	3,669,160
Program contracts payable, less current portion		51,033	56,921
Other long-term liabilities		71,687	68,631
Total liabilities		5,227,300	4,932,637
Consolidated VIEs, aggregated
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents		490	490
Accounts receivable		16,800	21,719
Current portion of program contract costs		9,989	13,287
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		390	331
Total current assets		27,669	35,827
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion		3,570	4,541
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		9,224	7,609
GOODWILL		791	787
INDEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS		15,684	17,599
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net		84,124	79,086
OTHER ASSETS		6,924	6,924
Total assets		147,986	152,373
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		1,274	1,240
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing		3,694	3,687
Current portion of program contracts payable		10,261	12,627
Total current liabilities		15,229	17,554
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		23,699	24,594
Program contracts payable, less current portion		12,765	13,679
Other long-term liabilities		9,681	8,067
Total liabilities		$ 61,374	$ 63,894

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $148.0 million and $152.4 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $34.0 million and $35.6 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.