Condensed Financial Information Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2016	Mar. 29, 2015	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 28, 2014
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
IncreaseDecreaseinIntercompanyDuetoNonCashSettlementofBalanceDue	$ 56,000
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	122,299	$ (94,306)
Capital expenditures	(17,848)	(16,299)
Acquisitions	0	(109)
Transfers from restricted cash	4	0
Investments	(88)	(411)
Intercompany dividend	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	1,486	5,617
Net cash used in investing activities	(16,446)	(11,202)
Repayments of long‑term debt	(6,960)	(1,067)
Long-term debt issuance costs	(622)	0
Payments of dividends	(23,215)	0
Common stock repurchases	(8,938)	(172,777)
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards	0	(402)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(4,126)	(3,618)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0	19
Intercompany dividend	0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(43,861)	(177,845)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	61,992	(283,353)
Cash and cash equivalents	324,636	1,171,830	$ 262,644	$ 1,455,183
Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	0	0
Capital expenditures	0	0
Acquisitions		0
Transfers from restricted cash	0
Investments	0	0
Intercompany dividend	(3,326)
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(3,326)	0
Repayments of long‑term debt	0	0
Long-term debt issuance costs	0
Payments of dividends	0
Common stock repurchases	0	0
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards		0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises		0
Intercompany dividend	3,326
Change in intercompany receivables and payables	0	0
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	3,326	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Parent (Tribune Media Company) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(56,143)	(20,111)
Capital expenditures	(4,336)	(6,157)
Acquisitions		0
Transfers from restricted cash	0
Investments	0	0
Intercompany dividend	3,326
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	0	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(1,010)	(6,157)
Repayments of long‑term debt	(5,948)	0
Long-term debt issuance costs	(622)
Payments of dividends	(23,215)
Common stock repurchases	(8,938)	(172,777)
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards		(402)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(4,126)	(3,618)
Proceeds from stock option exercises		19
Intercompany dividend	0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables	164,960	(78,930)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	122,111	(255,708)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	64,958	(281,976)
Cash and cash equivalents	300,466	1,151,412	235,508	1,433,388
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	181,150	(69,753)
Capital expenditures	(12,115)	(9,739)
Acquisitions		(109)
Transfers from restricted cash	4
Investments	(88)	(411)
Intercompany dividend	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	805	5,617
Net cash used in investing activities	(11,394)	(4,642)
Repayments of long‑term debt	0	(54)
Long-term debt issuance costs	0
Payments of dividends	0
Common stock repurchases	0	0
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards		0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises		0
Intercompany dividend	(3,326)
Change in intercompany receivables and payables	(169,323)	73,139
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	(172,649)	73,085
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(2,893)	(1,310)
Cash and cash equivalents	10,161	10,894	13,054	12,204
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(2,708)	(4,442)
Capital expenditures	(1,397)	(403)
Acquisitions		0
Transfers from restricted cash	0
Investments	0	0
Intercompany dividend	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	681	0
Net cash used in investing activities	(716)	(403)
Repayments of long‑term debt	(1,012)	(1,013)
Long-term debt issuance costs	0
Payments of dividends	0
Common stock repurchases	0	0
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards		0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises		0
Intercompany dividend	0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables	4,363	5,791
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities	3,351	4,778
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(73)	(67)
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 14,009	$ 9,524	$ 14,082	$ 9,591