Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2017		Sep. 30, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			$ 171,411		$ 186,540
Capital expenditures	$ (13,324)	$ (26,424)	(41,423)		(61,855)
Investments			(25)		(3,451)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			557,793		0
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			172,102		0
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			142,552		0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			61,240		507,050
Proceeds from the sale of investment			5,769		0
Distributions from equity investment			4,608		0
Distribution from cost investment			805		0
Transfers from restricted cash			0		297
Intercompany dividend					0
Net cash provided by investing activities			903,421		442,041
Long-term borrowings			202,694		0
Repayments of long-term debt			(703,527)		(20,881)
Long-term debt issuance costs			(1,689)		(784)
Payments of dividends			(564,499)		(68,684)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			(8,030)		(4,540)
Common stock repurchases			0		(149,147)
Proceeds from stock option exercises			11,231		0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			1,318		145
Settlement of contingent consideration			0		(3,636)
Intercompany dividend					0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			0	[1]	0	[2]
Net cash used in financing activities			(1,062,502)		(247,527)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			12,330		381,054
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			590,409	[3]	262,644
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	602,739	643,698	602,739		643,698
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		0
Net proceeds from the sale of business			0
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			0
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0		0
Proceeds from the sale of investment			0
Distributions from equity investment			0
Distribution from cost investment			0
Transfers from restricted cash					0
Intercompany dividend					(3,326)
Net cash provided by 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
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			0		0
Common stock repurchases					0
Proceeds from stock option exercises			0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			0		0
Settlement of contingent consideration					0
Intercompany dividend					3,326
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			0	[1]	0	[2]
Net cash used in financing activities			0		3,326
Net Increase (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			(184,784)		(73,507)
Capital expenditures			(3,812)		(9,433)
Investments			0		(850)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			574,817
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			0
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0		0
Proceeds from the sale of investment			5,769
Distributions from equity investment			0
Distribution from cost investment			0
Transfers from restricted cash					0
Intercompany dividend					3,326
Net cash provided by investing activities			576,774		(6,957)
Long-term borrowings			202,694
Repayments of long-term debt			(688,708)		(17,844)
Long-term debt issuance costs			(1,689)		(784)
Payments of dividends			(564,499)		(68,684)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			(8,030)		(4,540)
Common stock repurchases					(149,147)
Proceeds from stock option exercises			11,231
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			0		0
Settlement of contingent consideration					0
Intercompany dividend					0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			680,631	[1]	706,331	[2]
Net cash used in financing activities			(368,370)		465,332
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			23,620		384,868
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			574,638
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	598,258	620,376	598,258		620,376
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			346,685		364,608
Capital expenditures			(33,645)		(46,419)
Investments			(25)		(101)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			(5,249)
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			172,102
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			142,552
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			61,240		506,369
Proceeds from the sale of investment			0
Distributions from equity investment			4,608
Distribution from cost investment			0
Transfers from restricted cash					297
Intercompany dividend					0
Net cash provided by investing activities			341,583		460,146
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of long-term debt			0		0
Long-term debt issuance costs			0		0
Payments of dividends			0		0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			0		0
Common stock repurchases					0
Proceeds from stock option exercises			0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			0		0
Settlement of contingent consideration					(750)
Intercompany dividend					(3,326)
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			(690,989)	[1]	(823,087)	[2]
Net cash used in financing activities			(690,989)		(827,163)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(2,721)		(2,409)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			4,527
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	1,806	10,645	1,806		10,645
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities			9,510		(104,561)
Capital expenditures			(3,966)		(6,003)
Investments			0		(2,500)
Net proceeds from the sale of business			(11,775)
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			0
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets			0		681
Proceeds from the sale of investment			0
Distributions from equity investment			0
Distribution from cost investment			805
Transfers from restricted cash					0
Intercompany dividend					0
Net cash provided by investing activities			(14,936)		(7,822)
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of long-term debt			(14,819)		(3,037)
Long-term debt issuance costs			0		0
Payments of dividends			0		0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards			0		0
Common stock repurchases					0
Proceeds from stock option exercises			0
Contributions from noncontrolling interest			1,318		145
Settlement of contingent consideration					(2,886)
Intercompany dividend					0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)			10,358	[1]	116,756	[2]
Net cash used in financing activities			(3,143)		110,978
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents			(8,569)		(1,405)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of period (1)			11,244
Cash and cash equivalents, end of period	$ 2,675	$ 12,677	$ 2,675		$ 12,677

[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)Excludes the impact of a $56 million non-cash settlement of intercompany balances upon dissolution of certain Guarantor subsidiaries.

[3] (1)Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the nine months ended September 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.