Note 2 - Acquisitions and Dispositions (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2017

Notes Tables

Schedule of Noncash or Part Noncash Acquisitions [Table Text Block]

						Schurz
						Acquisition
						and the
	Divestiture			Acquisition		Acquisition
	of KAKE-TV			of WBXX-TV		of WLUC-TV			Total
Base purchase price	$	-		$	30,000	$	442,500		$	472,500
Purchase price adjustment		-			-		574			574
Adjusted purchase price		-			30,000		443,074			473,074
Cash consideration received from sale of Schurz Radio Stations		-			-		(16,000	)		(16,000	)
Net adjusted purchase price allocated to assets acquired and liabilities assumed		-			30,000		427,074			457,074
Non-cash consideration received		(30,000	)		-		-			(30,000	)
Cash consideration received		(11,200	)		-		-			(11,200	)
Net consideration - the Schurz Acquisition and Related Transactions	$	(41,200	)	$	30,000	$	427,074		$	415,874

Business Acquisition, Pro Forma Information [Table Text Block]

	Years Ended
	December 31,
	2017		2016
Revenue (less agency commissions)	$	895,081	$	926,799
Net income	$	260,909	$	88,679
Basic net income per share	$	3.57	$	1.23
Diluted net income per share	$	3.53	$	1.22

	Years Ended
	December 31,
	2016		2015
Revenue (less agency commissions)	$	825,787	$	701,550
Net income	$	57,795	$	39,360
Basic net income per share	$	0.80	$	0.58
Diluted net income per share	$	0.79	$	0.57

	Year Ended
	December 31,
	2015
Revenue (less agency commissions)	$	621,530
Net income	$	46,181
Basic net income per share	$	0.68
Diluted net income per share	$	0.67

The 2015 Acquisitions [Member]

Notes Tables

Schedule of Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed [Table Text Block]

	Acquisition
	Cedar Rapids			Odessa			Twin Falls			Wausau			Presque Isle			Laredo			Total
Other current assets	$	503		$	87		$	93		$	87		$	45		$	22		$	837
Property and equipment		13,754			4,629			5,172			1,985			2,822			1,411			29,773
Goodwill		25,006			3,719			2,587			11,616			245			5,154			48,327
Broadcast licenses		55,676			22,253			6,333			-			6,150			-			90,412
Other intangible assets		5,849			3,067			3,485			397			1,039			2,435			16,272
Other non-current assets		13			13			32			87			-			13			158
Current liabilities		(792	)		(155	)		(170	)		(85	)		(51	)		(22	)		(1,275	)
Other long-term liabilities		(13	)		(13	)		(32	)		(87	)		-			(13	)		(158	)
Total	$	99,996		$	33,600		$	17,500		$	14,000		$	10,250		$	9,000		$	184,346

The 2016 Acquisitions [Member]

Notes Tables

Schedule of Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed [Table Text Block]

						Schurz
						Acquisition
						and the
	Acquisition		Acquisition			Acquisition
	of KYES-TV		of WBXX-TV			of WLUC-TV			Total
Accounts receivable	$	-	$	-		$	19,226		$	19,226
Other current assets		-		429			4,606			5,035
Property and equipment		176		1,633			97,814			99,623
Goodwill		28		10,288			61,981			72,297
Broadcast licenses		254		18,199			231,391			249,844
Other intangible assets		42		-			19,523			19,565
Other non-current assets		-		408			3,028			3,436
Current liabilities		-		(460	)		(8,903	)		(9,363	)
Other long-term liabilities		-		(497	)		(1,592	)		(2,089	)
Total	$	500	$	30,000		$	427,074		$	457,574

2017 Acquisitions [Member]

Notes Tables

Schedule of Recognized Identified Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed [Table Text Block]

	Acquisition
	Fairbanks			Media General			Clarksburg			Diversified			Vermont			Total
Current assets	$	122		$	666		$	462		$	361		$	312		$	1,923
Property and equipment		2,650			20,181			4,133			12,329			9,513			48,806
Goodwill		471			86,287			3,222			35,486			316			125,782
Broadcast licenses		2,228			149,846			17,003			26,219			7,592			202,888
Other intangible assets		2,702			13,398			2,234			11,051			8,268			37,653
Other non-current assets		71			282			51			27			3,310			3,741
Current liabilities		(140	)		(695	)		(554	)		(423	)		(311	)		(2,123	)
Other long-term liabilities		(84	)		-			(51	)		(50	)		-			(185	)
Total	$	8,020		$	269,965		$	26,500		$	85,000		$	29,000		$	418,485