Business Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017		Sep. 30, 2016		Dec. 31, 2016
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		$ 450,533	$ 470,038	$ 1,359,960	[1]	$ 1,418,306	[1]
Operating (loss) profit		(23,749)	234,170	(20,655)	[1],[2]	320,368	[1],[2]
Depreciation		14,263	14,764	41,761	[3]	43,673	[3]
Amortization		41,678	41,668	125,001		125,003
Capital expenditures		13,324	26,424	41,423		61,855
Total Assets	[4]	8,174,081		8,174,081				$ 9,401,051
Assets held for sale	[5]	93,188		93,188				17,176
Gracenote Companies | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures		0	5,545	1,578	[6],[7]	16,514	[7]
Discontinued Operations		0		0				670,758
Operating Segments | Television and Entertainment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		447,307	460,164	1,349,401	[1]	1,384,173	[1]
Operating (loss) profit		(1,357)	46,024	68,875	[1],[2]	187,975	[1],[2]
Depreciation		10,844	11,267	31,413	[3]	33,392	[3]
Amortization		41,678	41,668	125,001	[3]	125,003	[3]
Capital expenditures		8,140	16,122	30,674		29,558
Total Assets		7,211,563		7,211,563				7,484,591
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		3,226	9,874	10,559	[1]	34,133	[1]
Operating (loss) profit		(22,392)	188,146	(89,530)	[1],[2]	132,393	[1],[2]
Depreciation		3,419	3,497	10,348	[3]	10,281	[3]
Capital expenditures		5,184	$ 4,757	9,171		$ 15,783
Total Assets		$ 869,330		$ 869,330				$ 1,228,526

[1] (1)See Note 2 for the disclosures of operating revenues and operating loss included in discontinued operations for the historical periods.

[2] (2)Operating (loss) profit for each segment excludes income and loss on equity investments, interest and dividend income, interest expense, non-operating items, reorganization costs and income taxes.

[3] (3)Depreciation and amortization from discontinued operations totaled $4 million and $8 million respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2016 and $10 million and $23 million, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.

[4] (1) The Company’s consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 include total assets of variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $101 million and $97 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. The Company’s consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $25 million and $3 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the Company (see Note 1).

[5] (4)See Note 4 for information regarding assets held for sale.

[6] (1) Results of operations for the Gracenote Companies are reflected through January 31, 2017, the date of the Gracenote Sale.

[7] (3)Non-cash investing and financing activities of Digital and Data businesses included in the Gracenote Sale were immaterial.