COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES: (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended					1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 item		Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014 item		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Sep. 30, 2014 agreement	Jun. 30, 2012	May 31, 2012 item	Aug. 08, 2013 item	Aug. 01, 2014 item	Nov. 30, 2003 item	Aug. 31, 2014	May 14, 2012 item
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Other assets	$ 208,230,000	[1]				$ 208,209,000	[1]				$ 208,230,000	[1]	$ 208,209,000	[1]
Other accrued liabilities	58,524,000					49,466,000					58,524,000		49,466,000
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets											125,496,000		70,820,000		38,099,000
Number of television stations in the same market entering into an agreement	2										2
Percentage of ad time to be considered an owner	15.00%										15.00%
Number of waivers sought	1										1
Revenue	613,818,000		494,956,000	455,136,000	412,648,000	427,715,000		338,644,000	314,154,000	282,618,000	1,976,558,000		1,363,131,000		1,061,679,000
Number of television stations owned	164										164
Number of markets	79										79
LMA
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Number of separately owned television stations having programming agreement											2
Number of stations that programs substantial portions of the broadcast day and sells advertising time to programming segments											1
Number of LMA agreements grandfathered											3
JSA
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Revenue											48,800,000		36,000,000
Fisher
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Number of television stations owned																			22
Number of markets																			8
Allbritton
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Number of television stations owned																				9
Number of markets																				7
Cunningham
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Number of television stations remaining to be acquired																					5
Number of applications pending to acquire license assets of stations																					5
Number of markets	3										3
Cunningham | Allbritton | WTAT
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Price of assets sold																				14,000,000
Howard Stirk Holdings | WMMP
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Price of assets sold																						50,000
Howard Stirk Holdings | WCFT
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Price of assets sold			50,000													50,000
Number of agreements																2
Howard Stirk Holdings | WJSU
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Price of assets sold			50,000													50,000
Network affiliation agreements | FOX
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Number of affiliates																							20
Amount paid pursuant to the agreements																	25,000,000
Other assets																	50,000,000
Other accrued liabilities																	25,000,000
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets											8,900,000		8,900,000		5,600,000
Option agreement | FTS
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Number of designated markets																		4
Option agreement | FTS | Maximum
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Option to purchase stations, number of markets																		3
Option agreement | FTS | WUTB (MNT) station in Baltimore
COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
Purchase price pursuant to option																							2,700,000

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December?31, 2014 and 2013 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $163.3 million and $194.1 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December?31, 2014 and 2013 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $30.0 million and $31.6 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.