Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2017		Mar. 31, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 75,213,000		$ 122,299,000
Capital expenditures	(14,634,000)		(17,848,000)
Investments	0		(88,000)
Net proceeds from the sale of business	554,725,000		0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	44,315,000		1,486,000
Proceeds from the sale of investment	4,950,000		0
Transfers from restricted cash	0		4,000
Intercompany dividend			0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	589,356,000		(16,446,000)
Long-term borrowings	202,694,000		0
Repayments of long-term debt	(584,245,000)		(6,960,000)
Long-term debt issuance costs	(1,689,000)		(622,000)
Payments of dividends	(520,849,000)		(23,215,000)
Common stock repurchases	0		(8,938,000)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(7,053,000)		(4,126,000)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	2,385,000		0
Intercompany dividend			0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables (1)	0	[1]	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(908,757,000)		(43,861,000)
Net (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(244,188,000)		61,992,000
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)	590,409,000	[2]	262,644,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	346,221,000		324,636,000
Non-cash settlement of intercompany balances	54,000,000		56,000,000
Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	0		0
Capital expenditures	0		0
Investments			0
Net proceeds from the sale of business	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	0		0
Proceeds from the sale of investment	0
Transfers from restricted cash			0
Intercompany dividend			(3,326,000)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0		(3,326,000)
Long-term borrowings	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0		0
Long-term debt issuance costs	0		0
Payments of dividends	0		0
Common stock repurchases			0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0		0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0
Intercompany dividend			3,326,000
Change in intercompany receivables and payables (1)	0	[1]	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0		3,326,000
Net (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0		0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	0		0
Parent (Tribune Media Company) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(133,188,000)		(56,143,000)
Capital expenditures	(1,413,000)		(4,336,000)
Investments			0
Net proceeds from the sale of business	571,749,000
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	0		0
Proceeds from the sale of investment	4,950,000
Transfers from restricted cash			0
Intercompany dividend			3,326,000
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	575,286,000		(1,010,000)
Long-term borrowings	202,694,000
Repayments of long-term debt	(583,232,000)		(5,948,000)
Long-term debt issuance costs	(1,689,000)		(622,000)
Payments of dividends	(520,849,000)		(23,215,000)
Common stock repurchases			(8,938,000)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(7,053,000)		(4,126,000)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	2,385,000
Intercompany dividend			0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables (1)	233,965,000	[1]	164,960,000
Net cash used in financing activities	(673,779,000)		122,111,000
Net (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(231,681,000)		64,958,000
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)	574,638,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	342,957,000		300,466,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	209,446,000		181,150,000
Capital expenditures	(12,468,000)		(12,115,000)
Investments			(88,000)
Net proceeds from the sale of business	(5,249,000)
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	44,315,000		805,000
Proceeds from the sale of investment	0
Transfers from restricted cash			4,000
Intercompany dividend			0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	26,598,000		(11,394,000)
Long-term borrowings	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0		0
Long-term debt issuance costs	0		0
Payments of dividends	0		0
Common stock repurchases			0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0		0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0
Intercompany dividend			(3,326,000)
Change in intercompany receivables and payables (1)	(239,190,000)	[1]	(169,323,000)
Net cash used in financing activities	(239,190,000)		(172,649,000)
Net (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(3,146,000)		(2,893,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)	4,527,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	1,381,000		10,161,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(1,045,000)		(2,708,000)
Capital expenditures	(753,000)		(1,397,000)
Investments			0
Net proceeds from the sale of business	(11,775,000)
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	0		681,000
Proceeds from the sale of investment	0
Transfers from restricted cash			0
Intercompany dividend			0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(12,528,000)		(716,000)
Long-term borrowings	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,013,000)		(1,012,000)
Long-term debt issuance costs	0		0
Payments of dividends	0		0
Common stock repurchases			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 (1)	5,225,000	[1]	4,363,000
Net cash used in financing activities	4,212,000		3,351,000
Net (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(9,361,000)		(73,000)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)	11,244,000
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 1,883,000		$ 14,009,000

[1] Excludes the impact of a $54 million non-cash settlement of intercompany balances upon the sale of certain Guarantor and Non-Guarantor subsidiaries included in the Gracenote Sale.

[2] (1)Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the three months ended March 31, 2017 of $590 million are comprised of $578 million of cash and cash equivalents from continuing operations as reflected in the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and $13 million of cash and cash equivalents reflected in current assets of discontinued operations, as further described in Note 2.