Capital Stock, Stock Awards. And Stock Options (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2011

Stock Options Outstanding and Exercisable [Abstract]


	2011			2010			2009
	Number	Average		Number	Average		Number	Average
	of	Award		of	Award		of	Award
	Shares	Price		Shares	Price		Shares	Price
Beginning of year, unvested	48,359	$	498.95	66,020	$	494.97	32,785	$	796.52
Awarded	44,030		432.09	1,859		442.29	48,440		415.08
Vested	(13,132)		722.67	(2,644)		754.81	(13,386)		920.32
Forfeited	(1,938)		436.31	(16,876)		437.06	(1,819)		672.40
End of year, unvested	77,319	$	424.45	48,359	$	498.95	66,020	$	494.97

Schedule of Share-based Compensation, Stock Options, Activity [Table Text Block]


	2011			2010			2009
	Number	Average		Number	Average		Number	Average
	of	Option		of	Option		of	Option
	Shares	Price		Shares	Price		Shares	Price
Beginning of year	87,919	$	495.05	90,569	$	525.44	87,025	$	581.17
Granted	51,000		499.45	22,500		395.68	24,294		421.95
Expired or forfeited	(9,875)		519.04	(25,150)		515.59	(20,750)		637.99
End of year	129,044	$	494.95	87,919	$	495.05	90,569	$	525.44


	Options Outstanding				Options Exercisable
		Weighted				Weighted
	Shares	Average	Weighted		Shares	Average	Weighted
Range of	Outstanding	Remaining	Average		Exercisable	Remaining	Average
Exercise	at	Contractual	Exercise		at	Contractual	Exercise
Prices	12/31/2011	Life (yrs.)	Price		12/31/2011	Life (yrs.)	Price
$343–396	36,250	8.4	$	385.62	14,938	7.8	$	380.08
419–439	23,294	8.0		423.25	11,647	8.0		423.25
503	50,000	10.0		502.58	―	―		―
652	2,000	7.0		651.91	1,500	7.0		651.91
729–763	13,000	3.4		731.94	13,000	3.4		731.94
816	1,500	2.0		816.05	1,500	2.0		816.05
954	3,000	3.0		953.50	3,000	3.0		953.50
	129,044	8.2	$	494.95	45,585	6.1	$	552.49

Fair Value of Options Assumptions [Table Text Block]


	2011	2010
Expected life (years)	7	7
Interest rate	1.49%―2.85%	2.51%
Volatility	30.35%―31.24%	30.19%
Dividend yield	2.11%―2.74%	2.27%

Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]


		Fiscal Year Ended
		December 31,		January 2,		January 3,
(in thousands, except per share amounts)		2011		2011		2010
Income from continuing operations attributable to
	The Washington Post Company common stockholders	$	120,404	$	319,289	$	156,853
Less: Amount attributable to participating securities			(1,211)		(1,970)		(1,075)
Basic income from continuing operations attributable to
	The Washington Post Company common stockholders	$	119,193	$	317,319	$	155,778

Plus: Amount attributable to participating securities			1,211		1,970		1,075
Diluted income from continuing operations attributable to
	The Washington Post Company common stockholders	$	120,404	$	319,289	$	156,853

Basic weighted average shares outstanding			7,826		8,869		9,332
Effect of dilutive shares:
	Stock options and restricted stock		79		62		60
Diluted weighted average shares outstanding			7,905		8,931		9,392

Income per share from continuing operations attributable to
	The Washington Post Company common stockholders
Basic		$	15.23	$	35.77	$	16.70
Diluted		$	15.23	$	35.75	$	16.70

- Definition

Tabular disclosure of components of a stock option or other award plan under which equity-based compensation is awarded to employees, typically comprised of the amount of unearned compensation (deferred compensation cost), compensation expense, and changes in the quantity and fair value of the shares (or other type of equity) granted, exercised, forfeited, and issued and outstanding pertaining to that plan. Disclosure may also include nature and general terms of such arrangements that existed during the period and potential effects of those arrangements on shareholders, effect of compensation cost arising from equity-based payment arrangements on the income statement, method of estimating the fair value of the goods or services received, or the fair value of the equity instruments granted, during the period, cash flow effects resulting from equity-based payment arrangements and, for registrants that accelerate vesting of out of the money share options, reasons for the decision to accelerate.

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