CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 111,619	$ 136,260
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(23,648)	(11,907)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(5,744)	(4,323)
Distributions from equity and cost method investees	4,152	739
Decrease in restricted cash		(679)
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(2,945)	(2,154)
Proceeds from termination of life insurance policies		17,042
Other, net	272	55
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(27,913)	(1,966)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	7,866	5,885
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(25,055)	(6,396)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B common stock	(15,715)	(14,696)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(7,803)	(82,371)
Other, net	(2,838)	991
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(43,545)	(96,587)
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	40,161	37,707
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	17,682	280,104
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	57,843	317,811
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	6,591	13,532
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Distributions from equity and cost method investees	1,425
Net cash flows used in investing activities	1,425
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(508)	(132)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B common stock	(15,715)	(14,719)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(7,803)	(82,371)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	15,323	82,043
Other, net	687	1,647
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(8,016)	(13,532)
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(25,325)	(8,180)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(2,912)	(1,721)
Distributions from equity and cost method investees	419
Decrease in restricted cash		(900)
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(1,100)
Proceeds from termination of life insurance policies		17,042
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(3,593)	14,421
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(23,514)	(4,335)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	84,589	60,147
Other, net		(144)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	61,075	55,668
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	32,157	61,909
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	3,394	237,974
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	35,551	299,883
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	139,443	124,353
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(20,309)	(9,587)
Decrease in restricted cash		221
Other, net	272
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(20,037)	(9,366)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	56	(268)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(120,275)	(142,667)
Other, net		(252)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(120,219)	(143,187)
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(813)	(28,200)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	1,749	28,594
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	936	394
Reportable legal entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(13,488)	6,472
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(635)	(599)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(5,744)	(4,323)
Distributions from equity and cost method investees	2,308
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(1,845)	(2,154)
Other, net		55
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(5,916)	(7,021)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	7,866	5,885
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(1,089)	(1,661)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	24,969	583
Other, net	(3,525)	(260)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	28,221	4,547
NET INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	8,817	3,998
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	12,539	13,536
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	21,356	17,534
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	4,398	83
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	208
Net cash flows used in investing activities	208
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B common stock		23
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(4,606)	(106)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	$ (4,606)	$ (83)