2.4.0.8010 - Disclosure - Note 5. Income Taxtruefalsefalse1false falsefalsec37_From1Mar2013To30Jun2013http://www.sec.gov/CIK0000216539duration2013-03-01T00:00:002013-06-30T00:00:001true 1us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureAbstractus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalse1falsefalsefalse00falsefalsefalsexbrli:stringItemTypestringfalse0Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]2false 2us-gaap_IncomeTaxDisclosureTextBlockus-gaap_truenadurationfalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalsefalseterseLabel1falsefalsefalse00 5.          The Company recorded non-cash income tax expense from continuing operations of $1.9 million and $5.2 million in the second quarter and first six months of 2013, compared to $3.4 million and $6.8 million in the equivalent quarter and six months of 2012. The Company’s tax provision for each period had an unusual relationship to pretax loss mainly because of the existence of a full deferred tax asset valuation allowance at the beginning of each period. This circumstance generally results in a zero net tax provision since the income tax expense or benefit that otherwise would be recognized is offset by the change to the valuation allowance.  However, tax expense recorded in the second quarters of 2013 and 2012 included the accrual of non-cash tax expense of approximately $3.3 million and $3.4 million, respectively, of additional valuation allowance in connection with the tax amortization of the Company’s indefinite-lived intangible assets that was not available to offset existing deferred tax assets (termed a “naked credit”). The “naked credit” expense was partially offset in the second quarter of 2013 by approximately $1.4 million of tax benefit related to the intraperiod allocation items in Other Comprehensive Income. A full discussion of the naked credit issue is contained in Note 4 of Item 8 of the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. falsefalsefalsenonnum:textBlockItemTypenaThe entire disclosure for income taxes. Disclosures may include net deferred tax liability or asset recognized in an enterprise's statement of financial position, net change during the year in the total valuation allowance, approximate tax effect of each type of temporary difference and carryforward that gives rise to a significant portion of deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, utilization of a tax carryback, and tax uncertainties information.Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 15 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32718-109319 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 235 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.4-08.(h)) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=26873400&loc=d3e23780-122690 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher SEC -Name Regulation S-X (SX) -Number 210 -Section 08 -Paragraph h -Article 4 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 9 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32639-109319 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32537-109319 Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 740 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32559-109319 false0Income Tax Disclosure [Text Block]falseNote 5. Income TaxUnKnownUnKnownUnKnownUnKnowntruefalsefalseSheethttp://www.media-general.com/role/Note5IncomeTax12