SEGMENT DATA: (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended								12 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
SEGMENT DATA
Intercompany loans	$ 172,300,000				$ 171,900,000				$ 172,300,000	$ 171,900,000
Intercompany interest expense									20,700,000	20,000,000	20,000,000
Segment data
Number of markets	79								79
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
Depreciation of property and equipment									103,291,000	70,554,000	47,073,000
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets									125,496,000	70,820,000	38,099,000
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments									106,629,000	80,925,000	60,990,000
General and administrative overhead expenses									69,413,000	53,126,000	33,391,000
Operating income (loss)	208,949,000	101,663,000	103,039,000	81,000,000	103,286,000	72,798,000	84,280,000	63,656,000	494,651,000	324,020,000	329,285,000
Interest expense									174,862,000	162,937,000	128,553,000
Income (loss) from equity and cost method investments									2,313,000	621,000	9,670,000
Goodwill	1,964,553,000				1,380,082,000				1,964,553,000	1,380,082,000	1,074,032,000
Assets	5,452,172,000				4,147,472,000				5,452,172,000	4,147,472,000
Capital expenditures									81,458,000	43,388,000	43,986,000
Broadcast
Segment data
Goodwill	1,964,040,000				1,376,594,000				1,964,040,000	1,376,594,000	1,070,544,000
Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Goodwill	513,000				3,488,000				513,000	3,488,000	3,488,000
Operating segments | Broadcast
Segment data
Number of markets					79					79
Revenue									1,904,988,000	1,306,187,000	1,007,498,000
Depreciation of property and equipment									99,823,000	67,320,000	44,054,000
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets									118,654,000	65,786,000	33,701,000
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments									106,629,000	80,925,000	60,990,000
General and administrative overhead expenses									56,179,000	47,272,000	28,854,000
Operating income (loss)									505,941,000	329,312,000	333,157,000
Goodwill	1,964,041,000				1,376,594,000				1,964,041,000	1,376,594,000
Assets	4,941,446,000				3,450,006,000				4,941,446,000	3,450,006,000
Capital expenditures									78,865,000	35,694,000
Operating segments | Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Revenue									71,570,000	56,944,000	54,181,000
Depreciation of property and equipment									2,350,000	1,891,000	1,496,000
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets									6,842,000	5,034,000	4,398,000
General and administrative overhead expenses									973,000	1,350,000	1,697,000
Operating income (loss)									2,089,000	555,000	491,000
Interest expense									4,042,000	3,251,000	3,282,000
Income (loss) from equity and cost method investments									2,313,000	621,000	9,670,000
Goodwill	512,000				3,488,000				512,000	3,488,000
Assets	356,380,000				296,657,000				356,380,000	296,657,000
Capital expenditures									2,593,000	4,994,000
Corporate
Segment data
Depreciation of property and equipment									1,118,000	1,343,000	1,523,000
General and administrative overhead expenses									12,261,000	4,504,000	2,840,000
Operating income (loss)									(13,379,000)	(5,847,000)	(4,363,000)
Interest expense									170,820,000	159,686,000	125,271,000
Assets	154,346,000				400,809,000				154,346,000	400,809,000
Capital expenditures										$ 2,700,000