ACQUISITIONS (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended			0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 item	Dec. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012	Oct. 12, 2012	Jul. 23, 2014	Dec. 19, 2014	Nov. 01, 2014	Aug. 01, 2014	Nov. 22, 2013 item	Aug. 08, 2013 item	Dec. 01, 2012	Apr. 02, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012	Oct. 12, 2013	Apr. 01, 2012 item
Acquisitions
Number of television stations	164
Number of markets	79
Business acquisition transaction costs	$ 5,700,000	$ 2,800,000	$ 1,200,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Goodwill	1,964,553,000	1,380,082,000	1,074,032,000
6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022
Acquisitions
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.125%	6.125%		6.125%										6.125%
Amount of draw under incremental loan commitment used to finance acquisition				500,000,000
5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2024
Acquisitions
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.625%
Amount of draw under incremental loan commitment used to finance acquisition					550,000,000
Total Acquisitions
Acquisitions
Number of television stations	119
Number of markets	63
Cash paid	3,557,700,000
Working capital adjustment	53,700,000
2014 Acquisitions
Acquisitions
Number of television stations	21
Number of markets	15
Cash paid	1,434,500,000
Working capital adjustment	47,300,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Accounts receivable	38,542,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	20,512,000
Program contract costs	6,136,000
Property and equipment	99,263,000
Broadcast licenses	18,027,000
Definite-lived intangible assets	790,006,000
Other assets	21,852,000
Assets held for sale	83,200,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(11,856,000)
Program contracts payable	(6,064,000)
Deferred tax liability	(261,393,000)
Other long-term liabilities	(18,225,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired	780,000,000
Goodwill	701,854,000
Total	1,481,854,000
MEG Stations
Acquisitions
Number of television stations						4
Number of markets						3
Cash paid						207,500,000
Working capital adjustment						1,600,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	476,000
Program contract costs	1,889,000
Property and equipment	35,963,000
Broadcast licenses	4,202,000
Definite-lived intangible assets	93,156,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(2,085,000)
Program contracts payable	(1,889,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired	131,712,000
Goodwill	74,179,000
Total	205,891,000
KSNV
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	67,000
Program contract costs	482,000
Property and equipment	8,300,000
Definite-lived intangible assets	61,725,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(277,000)
Program contracts payable	(481,000)
Other long-term liabilities	(1,200,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired	68,616,000
Goodwill	49,674,000
Total	118,290,000
KSNV
Acquisitions
Cash paid							118,500,000
Working capital adjustment							200,000
Allbritton
Acquisitions
Number of television stations								9
Number of markets								7
Cash paid								985,000,000
Working capital adjustment								50,200,000
Interest rate (as a percent)								5.625%
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Accounts receivable	38,542,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	19,890,000
Program contract costs	1,204,000
Property and equipment	46,600,000
Broadcast licenses	13,700,000
Definite-lived intangible assets	564,100,000
Other assets	20,352,000
Assets held for sale	83,200,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(8,351,000)
Program contracts payable	(1,140,000)
Deferred tax liability	(261,393,000)
Other long-term liabilities	(17,025,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired	499,679,000
Goodwill	535,558,000
Total	1,035,237,000
Other Acquisitions in 2014
Acquisitions
Number of television stations	8
Number of markets	4
Cash paid	123,500,000
Working capital adjustment	1,100,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	79,000
Program contract costs	2,561,000
Property and equipment	8,400,000
Broadcast licenses	125,000
Definite-lived intangible assets	71,025,000
Other assets	1,500,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(1,143,000)
Program contracts payable	(2,554,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired	79,993,000
Goodwill	42,443,000
Total	122,436,000
2013 Acquisitions
Acquisitions
Number of television stations		65
Number of markets		33
Cash paid		1,016,600,000
Working capital adjustment		8,400,000
Noncontrolling interests related to the license assets		1,053,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Cash		13,531,000
Accounts receivable		37,711,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		25,031,000
Program contract costs		21,488,000
Property and equipment		214,623,000
Broadcast licenses		34,885,000
Definite-lived intangible assets		555,725,000
Other assets		10,678,000
Assets held for sale		6,339,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(26,778,000)
Program contracts payable		(21,121,000)
Deferred tax liability		(76,481,000)
Other long-term liabilities		(33,999,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired		761,632,000
Goodwill		264,484,000
Less: fair value of non-controlling interest		(1,053,000)
Total		1,025,063,000
Barrington Broadcasting Company, LLC
Acquisitions
Number of television stations									24
Number of markets									15
Cash paid									370,000,000
Working capital adjustment									2,300,000
Number of stations to which sales services were provided									5
Noncontrolling interests related to the license assets									7,500,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		681,000
Program contract costs		4,011,000
Property and equipment		73,621,000
Broadcast licenses		719,000
Definite-lived intangible assets		220,253,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(2,725,000)
Program contracts payable		(3,813,000)
Other long-term liabilities		(65,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired		292,682,000
Goodwill		75,004,000
Less: fair value of non-controlling interest									(7,500,000)
Total		367,686,000
Fisher
Acquisitions
Number of television stations										22
Number of markets										8
Cash paid										373,200,000
Noncontrolling interests related to the license assets		1,053,000
Cash paid for acquisition (in dollars per share)										$ 41.0
Number of radio stations										4
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Cash		13,531,000
Accounts receivable		29,485,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		19,133,000
Program contract costs		11,427,000
Property and equipment		73,968,000
Broadcast licenses		29,771,000
Definite-lived intangible assets		166,034,000
Other assets		9,284,000
Assets held for sale		6,339,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(20,127,000)
Program contracts payable		(10,977,000)
Deferred tax liability		(74,177,000)
Other long-term liabilities		(23,384,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired		230,307,000
Goodwill		143,942,000
Less: fair value of non-controlling interest		(1,053,000)
Total		373,196,000
Other Acquisitions in 2013
Acquisitions
Number of television stations		19
Number of markets		8
Cash paid		272,700,000
Working capital adjustment		10,800,000	700,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Accounts receivable		8,226,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		5,217,000
Program contract costs		6,050,000
Property and equipment		67,034,000
Broadcast licenses		4,395,000
Definite-lived intangible assets		169,438,000
Other assets		1,394,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(3,926,000)
Program contracts payable		(6,331,000)
Deferred tax liability		(2,304,000)
Other long-term liabilities		(10,550,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired		238,643,000
Goodwill		45,538,000
Total		284,181,000
2012 Acquisitions
Acquisitions
Number of television stations			33
Number of markets			18
Cash paid			1,106,600,000
Working capital adjustment			2,000,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			2,379,000
Program contract costs			19,267,000
Property and equipment			159,115,000
Broadcast licenses			39,342,000
Definite-lived intangible assets			497,322,000
Other assets			1,923,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(6,076,000)
Program contracts payable			(24,447,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired			688,825,000
Goodwill			415,734,000
Total			1,104,559,000
Newport
Acquisitions
Number of television stations			7
Number of markets			6
Cash paid											472,400,000
Working capital adjustment											1,000,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			1,390,000
Program contract costs			10,378,000
Property and equipment			53,883,000
Broadcast licenses			15,581,000
Definite-lived intangible assets			240,013,000
Other assets			1,097,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(3,928,000)
Program contracts payable			(11,634,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired			306,780,000
Goodwill			164,621,000
Total			471,401,000
Newport | 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022
Acquisitions
Interest rate (as a percent)											6.125%
Freedom
Acquisitions
Number of television stations															8
Number of markets															8
Cash paid												385,300,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			373,000
Program contract costs			3,520,000
Property and equipment			54,109,000
Broadcast licenses			10,424,000
Definite-lived intangible assets			140,963,000
Other assets			278,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(589,000)
Program contracts payable			(3,404,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired			205,674,000
Goodwill			179,609,000
Total			385,283,000
Four Points
Acquisitions
Number of television stations													7
Number of markets													4
Cash paid													199,100,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			456,000
Program contract costs			3,731,000
Property and equipment			34,578,000
Broadcast licenses			10,658,000
Definite-lived intangible assets			93,800,000
Other assets			548,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(381,000)
Program contracts payable			(5,157,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired			138,233,000
Goodwill			60,843,000
Total			199,076,000
Other Acquisitions in 2012
Acquisitions
Number of television stations			5
Number of markets			3
Cash paid			49,500,000
Working capital adjustment			700,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets			160,000
Program contract costs			1,638,000
Property and equipment			16,545,000
Broadcast licenses			2,679,000
Definite-lived intangible assets			22,546,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities			(1,178,000)
Program contracts payable			(4,252,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired			38,138,000
Goodwill			10,661,000
Total			$ 48,799,000