Intangible Assets and Goodwill (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Goodwill And Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]

Intangible Assets Subject to Amortization

Intangible assets subject to amortization consisted of the following, as of December 31 (in thousands):

	Estimated	2017							2016
	useful life,			Accumulated							Accumulated
	in years	Gross		Amortization			Net		Gross		Amortization			Net
Network affiliation agreements	15	$	1,971,170	$	(461,345	)	$	1,509,825	$	659,054	$	(357,704	)	$	301,350
Other definite-lived   intangible assets	1-20		193,089		(121,288	)		71,801		89,404		(66,017	)		23,387
Other intangible assets		$	2,164,259	$	(582,633	)	$	1,581,626	$	748,458	$	(423,721	)	$	324,737

Estimated Amortization Expense of Definite-Lived Intangibles Assets

The following table presents the Company’s estimate of amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years and thereafter for definite-lived intangible assets as of December 31, 2017 (in thousands):

2018	$	128,827
2019		125,303
2020		117,015
2021		114,286
2022		112,657
Thereafter		983,538
	$	1,581,626

Goodwill and FCC Licenses

The changes in the carrying amounts of goodwill and FCC licenses for the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016 are as follows (in thousands):

	Goodwill									FCC Licenses
				Accumulated									Accumulated
	Gross			Impairment			Net			Gross			Impairment			Net
Balances as of December 31, 2015	$	497,653		$	(45,991	)	$	451,662		$	538,756		$	(49,421	)	$	489,335
Acquisitions and consolidation   of VIEs (See Notes 2 and 3)		36,904			-			36,904			53,189			-			53,189
Impairment		-			(15,262	)		(15,262	)		-			-			-
Balances as of December 31, 2016		534,557			(61,253	)		473,304			591,945			(49,421	)		542,524
Acquisitions and consolidations of VIEs (See Notes 2 and 3)		1,701,719			-			1,701,719			1,244,386			-			1,244,386
Nexstar Divestitures (See Note 3)		(22,823	)		2,861			(19,962	)		(19,744	)		2,011			(17,733	)
Deconsolidation of a VIE		(698	)		-			(698	)		(1,539	)					(1,539	)
Impairment		-			(11,517	)		(11,517	)		-			-			-
Balances as of December 31, 2017	$	2,212,755		$	(69,909	)	$	2,142,846		$	1,815,048		$	(47,410	)	$	1,767,638