Debt - LIN Television (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			1 Months Ended							6 Months Ended										1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013 LIN Television	Jun. 30, 2012 LIN Television	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television	Feb. 28, 2013 LIN Television SVH	Jun. 30, 2013 LIN Television Level 2	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Level 2	Jun. 30, 2013 LIN Television 8.375% Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television 8.375% Senior Notes	Jun. 30, 2013 LIN Television 6.375% Senior Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television 6.375% Senior Notes	Jun. 30, 2012 LIN Television Senior Subordinated Notes	Jun. 30, 2013 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	Jun. 30, 2013 LIN Television Capital lease obligations	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Capital lease obligations	Jun. 30, 2013 LIN Television Other debt	Dec. 31, 2012 LIN Television Other debt	Jun. 30, 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	Jun. 30, 2013 LIN Television Senior Secured Credit Facility Incremental term loans, net of discount	Jun. 30, 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
Debt
Interest rate (as a percent)										8.375%	8.375%	6.375%	6.375%		6.50%	6.50%	6.50%
Face amount of debt																						$ 121,875,000	$ 125,000,000		$ 315,800,000	$ 315,800,000	$ 257,400,000
Additional borrowings																								60,000,000
Unamortized discount																						390,000	435,000		1,852,000	1,852,000	2,020,000
Total debt				944,938,000		890,227,000				200,000,000	200,000,000	290,000,000	290,000,000					14,757,000	14,881,000	4,748,000	5,401,000	121,485,000	124,565,000		313,948,000	313,948,000	255,380,000
Less current portion	14,028,000		10,756,000	14,028,000		10,756,000
Total long-term debt	930,910,000		879,471,000	930,910,000		879,471,000
Repayment of debt	41,617,000	297,415,000		41,617,000	297,415,000																				2,400,000	4,700,000
Term of debt instrument																								5 years
Amount transferred pursuant to the JV Sale Transaction	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								930,181,000	875,346,000
Estimated Fair Value								$ 948,519,000	$ 910,500,000