Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2017		Jun. 30, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			$ 122,614		$ 241,319
Capital expenditures	$ (13,465)	$ (17,583)	(28,099)		(35,431)
Investments			0		(3,451)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			557,793		0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			59,751		33,702
Proceeds from the sale of investment			4,950		0
Distribution from cost investment			805		0
Transfers from restricted cash			0		297
Intercompany dividend					0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			595,200		(4,883)
Long-term borrowings			202,694		0
Repayments of long-term debt			(589,661)		(13,920)
Long-term debt issuance costs			(1,689)		(784)
Payments of dividends			(542,665)		(46,174)
Settlement of contingent consideration			0		(750)
Common stock repurchases			0		(66,548)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			(7,351)		(4,377)
Proceeds from stock option exercises			10,013		0
Intercompany dividend					0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			1,003		113
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			0	[1]	0
Net cash used in financing activities			(927,656)		(132,440)
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(209,842)		103,996
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			590,409	[2]	262,644
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	380,567	366,640	380,567		366,640
Non-cash settlement of intercompany balances			54,000		56,000
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
Distribution from cost investment			0
Transfers from restricted cash					0
Intercompany dividend					(3,326)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			0		(3,326)
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of long-term debt			0		0
Long-term debt issuance costs			0		0
Payments of dividends			0		0
Settlement of contingent consideration					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
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			0		0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			0	[1]	0
Net cash used in financing activities			0		3,326
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	0		0
Parent (Tribune Media Company) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			(142,822)		(39,775)
Capital expenditures			(1,069)		(7,094)
Investments					(850)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			574,817
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0		0
Proceeds from the sale of investment			4,950
Distribution from cost investment			0
Transfers from restricted cash					0
Intercompany dividend					3,326
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			578,698		(4,618)
Long-term borrowings			202,694
Repayments of long-term debt			(587,636)		(11,896)
Long-term debt issuance costs			(1,689)		(784)
Payments of dividends			(542,665)		(46,174)
Settlement of contingent consideration					0
Common stock repurchases					(66,548)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			(7,351)		(4,377)
Proceeds from stock option exercises			10,013
Intercompany dividend					0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			0		0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			293,696	[1]	283,775
Net cash used in financing activities			(632,938)		153,996
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(197,062)		109,603
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			574,638
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	377,576	345,111	377,576		345,111
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			266,827		283,808
Capital expenditures			(24,841)		(24,830)
Investments					(101)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			(5,249)
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			59,751		33,021
Proceeds from the sale of investment			0
Distribution from cost investment			0
Transfers from restricted cash					297
Intercompany dividend					0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			29,661		8,387
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of long-term debt			0		0
Long-term debt issuance costs			0		0
Payments of dividends			0		0
Settlement of contingent consideration					(750)
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)
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			0		0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			(300,109)	[1]	(291,214)
Net cash used in financing activities			(300,109)		(295,290)
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(3,621)		(3,095)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			4,527
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	906	9,959	906		9,959
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			(1,391)		(2,714)
Capital expenditures			(2,189)		(3,507)
Investments					(2,500)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			(11,775)
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0		681
Proceeds from the sale of investment			0
Distribution from cost investment			805
Transfers from restricted cash					0
Intercompany dividend					0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities			(13,159)		(5,326)
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of long-term debt			(2,025)		(2,024)
Long-term debt issuance costs			0		0
Payments of dividends			0		0
Settlement of contingent consideration					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
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			1,003		113
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			6,413	[1]	7,439
Net cash used in financing activities			5,391		5,528
Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(9,159)		(2,512)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			11,244
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 2,085	$ 11,570	$ 2,085		$ 11,570

[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 six months ended June 30, 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.