Debt (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			1 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended										1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Feb. 28, 2013 SVH	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television	Mar. 31, 2012 LIN Television	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television	Feb. 28, 2013 LIN Television SVH	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television Level 2	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Level 2	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television Revolving credit loans	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television 8.375% Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television 8.375% Senior Notes	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television 6.375% Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television 6.375% Senior Notes	Mar. 31, 2012 LIN Television Senior Subordinated Notes	Jan. 20, 2012 LIN Television Senior Subordinated Notes	Jan. 20, 2012 LIN Television 6.5% Senior Subordinated Notes Due 2013	Jan. 20, 2012 LIN Television 6.5% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2013 - Class B, net of discount	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television Capital lease obligations	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Capital lease obligations	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television Other debt	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Other debt	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television Senior Secured Credit Facility Term loans, net of discount	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Senior Secured Credit Facility Term loans, net of discount	Feb. 28, 2013 LIN Television Senior Secured Credit Facility Incremental term loans, net of discount	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television Senior Secured Credit Facility Incremental term loans, net of discount	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Senior Secured Credit Facility Incremental term loans, net of discount	Mar. 31, 2013 LIN Television 2009 Senior Secured Credit Facility
Debt
Percentage of ownership in subsidiaries					100.00%							100.00%																	100.00%
Interest rate (as a percent)												8.375%	8.375%	6.375%	6.375%	6.50%		6.50%	6.50%
Face amount of debt																								$ 125,000,000	$ 125,000,000		$ 316,600,000	$ 257,400,000
Additional borrowings																										60,000,000
Unamortized discount																	1,200,000							413,000	435,000		1,936,000	2,020,000
Total debt					952,493,000		890,227,000				5,000,000	200,000,000	200,000,000	290,000,000	290,000,000					14,767,000	14,881,000	5,037,000	5,401,000	123,025,000	124,565,000		314,664,000	255,380,000
Less current portion	11,279,000		10,756,000		11,279,000		10,756,000
Total long-term debt	941,214,000		879,471,000		941,214,000		879,471,000
Repayment of debt	22,840,000	276,695,000			22,840,000	276,695,000																					2,400,000
Term of debt instrument																										5 years
Amount transferred pursuant to the JV Sale Transaction	100,000,000			100,000,000	100,000,000			100,000,000
Loss on extinguishment of debt		2,099,000				2,099,000										2,100,000
Carrying amounts and fair values of long-term debt
Carrying Amount									937,727,000	875,346,000
Estimated Fair Value									$ 977,954,000	$ 910,500,000