Condensed Financial Information Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 29, 2015
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	$ 520,515	$ 472,737
Programming and direct operating expenses	238,243	196,504
Selling, general and administrative	188,340	150,473
Depreciation and amortization	66,716	64,825
Total Operating Expenses	493,299	411,802
Operating (Loss) Profit	27,216	60,935
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	38,252	36,934
Interest and dividend income	145	367
Interest expense	(41,976)	(39,212)
Gain on investment transaction	0	687
Other non-operating items	62	(992)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
Intercompany income (charges)	0	0
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes and Earnings (Losses) from Consolidated Subsidiaries	23,699	58,719
Income tax (benefit) expense	12,606	22,302
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0
Net Income	11,093	36,417
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	14,730	30,082
Eliminations
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	(4,407)	(5,638)
Programming and direct operating expenses	(2,998)	(2,411)
Selling, general and administrative	(1,409)	(3,227)
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Total Operating Expenses	(4,407)	(5,638)
Operating (Loss) Profit	0	0
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	0	0
Interest and dividend income	0	0
Interest expense	0	0
Gain on investment transaction		0
Other non-operating items	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
Intercompany income (charges)	0	0
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes and Earnings (Losses) from Consolidated Subsidiaries	0	0
Income tax (benefit) expense	0	0
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	(40,148)	(58,438)
Net Income	(40,148)	(58,438)
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	(44,188)	(53,047)
Parent (Tribune Media Company) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	0	0
Programming and direct operating expenses	0	0
Selling, general and administrative	25,429	23,940
Depreciation and amortization	2,569	1,169
Total Operating Expenses	27,998	25,109
Operating (Loss) Profit	(27,998)	(25,109)
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	(720)	0
Interest and dividend income	91	300
Interest expense	(41,714)	(38,923)
Gain on investment transaction		687
Other non-operating items	62	(926)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	438	439
Intercompany income (charges)	23,762	25,065
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes and Earnings (Losses) from Consolidated Subsidiaries	(46,079)	(38,467)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(17,960)	(15,122)
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	39,212	59,762
Net Income	11,093	36,417
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	14,730	30,082
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	508,445	463,541
Programming and direct operating expenses	235,866	189,688
Selling, general and administrative	157,254	124,722
Depreciation and amortization	59,151	59,792
Total Operating Expenses	452,271	374,202
Operating (Loss) Profit	56,174	89,339
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	38,972	36,934
Interest and dividend income	41	26
Interest expense	0	(5)
Gain on investment transaction		0
Other non-operating items	0	(66)
Intercompany interest income (expense)	(438)	(439)
Intercompany income (charges)	(23,706)	(24,976)
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes and Earnings (Losses) from Consolidated Subsidiaries	71,043	100,813
Income tax (benefit) expense	31,343	39,892
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	936	(1,324)
Net Income	40,636	59,597
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	40,739	57,732
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	16,477	14,834
Programming and direct operating expenses	5,375	9,227
Selling, general and administrative	7,066	5,038
Depreciation and amortization	4,996	3,864
Total Operating Expenses	17,437	18,129
Operating (Loss) Profit	(960)	(3,295)
(Loss) income on equity investments, net	0	0
Interest and dividend income	13	41
Interest expense	(262)	(284)
Gain on investment transaction		0
Other non-operating items	0	0
Intercompany interest income (expense)	0	0
Intercompany income (charges)	(56)	(89)
(Loss) Income Before Income Taxes and Earnings (Losses) from Consolidated Subsidiaries	(1,265)	(3,627)
Income tax (benefit) expense	(777)	(2,468)
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes	0	0
Net Income	(488)	(1,159)
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	$ 3,449	$ (4,685)