Note 1 - Description of Business and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Details Textual) $ in Millions	12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2021 USD ($) Rate	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)
Number of Television Markets	113
Percent of US Television Households Reached (Rate) \| Rate	36.00%
Number of Television Markets with Top-Rated Stations	80
Number of Television Markets with First and/or Second Rated Stations	100
Accounts Receivable, Credit Loss Expense (Reversal)	$ 4	$ 2	$ 11
Asset Retirement Obligation, Ending Balance	$ 3	$ 2
Revenue Benchmark [Member] \| Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Services Sector [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	29.00%	28.00%	25.00%
Revenue Benchmark [Member] \| Customer Concentration Risk [Member] \| Automotive [Member]
Concentration Risk, Percentage	17.00%	21.00%	25.00%

Number of television markets.

No definition available.

Name:	gtn_NumberOfTelevisionMarkets
Namespace Prefix:	gtn_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of television markets with first and/or second-rated stations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gtn_NumberOfTelevisionMarketsWithFirstAndorSecondRatedStations
Namespace Prefix:	gtn_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Number of television markets with top-rated television stations.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gtn_NumberOfTelevisionMarketsWithTopratedStations
Namespace Prefix:	gtn_
Data Type:	xbrli:pureItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The percent of US television households reached through television markets.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gtn_PercentOfUsTelevisionHouseholdsReached
Namespace Prefix:	gtn_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying amount of a liability for an asset retirement obligation. An asset retirement obligation is a legal obligation associated with the disposal or retirement of a tangible long-lived asset that results from the acquisition, construction or development, or the normal operations of a long-lived asset, except for certain obligations of lessees.

+ References

Reference 1: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 410
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6392692&loc=d3e7535-110849

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_AssetRetirementObligation
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

For an entity that discloses a concentration risk in relation to quantitative amount, which serves as the "benchmark" (or denominator) in the equation, this concept represents the concentration percentage derived from the division.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 280
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 42
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123359005&loc=d3e9054-108599

Reference 2: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 18
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6351-108592

Reference 3: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123594938&loc=d3e13531-108611

Reference 4: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 825
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 21
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123594938&loc=d3e13537-108611

Reference 5: http://fasb.org/us-gaap/role/ref/legacyRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 275
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 20
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=99393423&loc=d3e6404-108592

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskPercentage1
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	dtr-types:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of expense (reversal of expense) for expected credit loss on accounts receivable.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 326
-SubTopic 20
-Section 50
-Paragraph 13
-Subparagraph (b)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=124255953&loc=SL82919249-210447

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/disclosureRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 220
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03(5))
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=123367319&loc=SL114868664-224227

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProvisionForDoubtfulAccounts
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByBenchmarkAxis=us-gaap_SalesRevenueNetMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_ConcentrationRiskByTypeAxis=us-gaap_CustomerConcentrationRiskMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=gtn_ServicesSectorMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	srt_MajorCustomersAxis=gtn_AutomotiveMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type: