Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended												12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017		Sep. 30, 2017		Jun. 30, 2017		Mar. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016	Sep. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016		Dec. 31, 2015
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	$ 488,999		$ 450,533		$ 469,517		$ 439,910		$ 529,624	$ 470,038	$ 479,796	$ 468,472	$ 1,848,959	[1]	$ 1,947,930	[1]	$ 1,801,967	[1]
Programming and direct operating expenses													995,838		906,333		912,182
Selling, general and administrative													550,193		592,220		543,065
Depreciation and amortization													222,993		225,489		230,958
Impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets													0		3,400		385,000
(Gain) loss on sales of real estate									(1,000)		1,000		(28,533)		(213,086)		97
Total operating expenses													1,740,491		1,514,356		2,071,302
Total operating profit (loss)	129,123		(23,749)		18,326		(15,232)		113,206	234,170	56,206	29,992	108,468	[1]	433,574	[1]	(269,335)	[1]
(Loss) income on equity investment, net	38,506		21,058		40,761		37,037		33,861	31,737	44,306	38,252	137,362		148,156		146,959
Interest and dividend income	1,269		827		548		505		390	476	228	132	3,149		1,226		720
Interest expense	(40,055)		(40,389)		(40,185)		(38,758)		(38,211)	(38,296)	(38,071)	(38,141)	(159,387)		(152,719)		(148,587)
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt	0	[2]	(1,435)	[2]	0	[2]	(19,052)	[2]					(20,487)	[2]	0		(37,040)
Gain on investment transactions, net	(2,486)	[2]	5,667	[2]	0	[2]	4,950	[2]					8,131	[2]	0		12,173
Write-downs of investments	(12,694)	[2]	0	[2]	(58,800)	[2]	(122,000)	[2]					(193,494)	[2]	0		0
Other non-operating items, net													(2,038)		4,005		5,691
Intercompany income (charges)													0		0		0
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	113,032		(38,774)		(39,728)		(152,826)		114,007	227,710	62,228	30,297	(118,296)		434,242		(289,419)
Income tax benefit	(219,767)		(20,087)		(9,905)		(51,614)		43,280	73,871	214,856	15,195	(301,373)		347,202		25,918
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes													0		0		0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Net of Tax, Attributable to Parent													179,699		87,040		(315,337)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations	332,799		(18,687)		(29,823)		(101,212)		70,727	153,839	(152,628)	15,102	183,077		87,040		(315,337)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	(619)		0		(579)		15,618		(51,776)	(8,074)	(8,935)	(4,009)	14,420		(72,794)		(4,581)
Net Income (Loss)	332,180		(18,687)		(30,402)		(85,594)						197,497		14,246		(319,918)
Net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	(3,378)		0		0		0						(3,378)		0		0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Tribune Media Company	$ 328,802		$ (18,687)		$ (30,402)		$ (85,594)		$ 18,951	$ 145,765	$ (161,563)	$ 11,093	194,119		14,246		(319,918)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) attributable to Tribune Media Company													227,840		3,480		(344,393)
Consolidation, Eliminations
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues													0		0		0
Programming and direct operating expenses													0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative													0		0		0
Depreciation and amortization													0		0		0
Impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets															0		0
(Gain) loss on sales of real estate													0		0		0
Total operating expenses													0		0		0
Total operating profit (loss)													0		0		0
(Loss) income on equity investment, net													0		0		0
Interest and dividend income													0		0		0
Interest expense													0		0		0
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt													0				0
Gain on investment transactions, net													0				0
Write-downs of investments													0
Other non-operating items, net													0		0		0
Intercompany income (charges)													0		0		0
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes													0		0		0
Income tax benefit													0		0		0
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes													(359,477)		(253,599)		202,427
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations													(359,477)		(253,599)		202,427
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes													1,097		60,754		3,376
Net Income (Loss)													(358,380)
Net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests													0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Tribune Media Company													(358,380)		(192,845)		205,803
Comprehensive Income (Loss) attributable to Tribune Media Company													(377,518)		(188,634)		220,021
Parent Company | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues													0		0		0
Programming and direct operating expenses													0		0		0
Selling, general and administrative													106,297		97,022		95,163
Depreciation and amortization													11,522		11,249		7,465
Impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets															0		0
(Gain) loss on sales of real estate													0		0		0
Total operating expenses													117,819		108,271		102,628
Total operating profit (loss)													(117,819)		(108,271)		(102,628)
(Loss) income on equity investment, net													(2,016)		(2,549)		(240)
Interest and dividend income													3,085		1,149		510
Interest expense													(158,984)		(151,893)		(147,616)
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt													(20,436)				(37,040)
Gain on investment transactions, net													4,807				791
Write-downs of investments													(10,194)
Other non-operating items, net													(1,557)		4,005		7,880
Intercompany income (charges)													110,254		103,327		90,993
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes													(192,860)		(154,232)		(187,350)
Income tax benefit													(28,578)		13,610		(72,742)
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes													343,981		254,882		(200,729)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations													179,699		87,040		(315,337)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes													14,420		(72,794)		(4,581)
Net Income (Loss)													194,119
Net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests													0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Tribune Media Company													194,119		14,246		(319,918)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) attributable to Tribune Media Company													227,840		3,480		(344,393)
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues													1,838,997		1,938,116		1,788,828
Programming and direct operating expenses													989,385		902,843		903,844
Selling, general and administrative													440,555		491,753		446,370
Depreciation and amortization													198,949		201,504		210,465
Impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets															3,400		385,000
(Gain) loss on sales of real estate													(365)		(213,086)		97
Total operating expenses													1,628,524		1,386,414		1,945,776
Total operating profit (loss)													210,473		551,702		(156,948)
(Loss) income on equity investment, net													139,378		150,705		147,199
Interest and dividend income													64		77		208
Interest expense													0		0		(5)
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt													0				0
Gain on investment transactions, net													3,324				8,132
Write-downs of investments													(183,300)
Other non-operating items, net													(481)		0		(2,189)
Intercompany income (charges)													(110,018)		(102,979)		(90,637)
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes													59,440		599,505		(94,240)
Income tax benefit													(233,326)		231,136		101,450
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes													15,496		(1,283)		(1,698)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations													308,262		367,086		(197,388)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes													(1,904)		(62,777)		420
Net Income (Loss)													306,358
Net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests													0
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Tribune Media Company													306,358		304,309		(196,968)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) attributable to Tribune Media Company													312,382		301,913		(201,018)
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues													9,962		9,814		13,139
Programming and direct operating expenses													6,453		3,490		8,338
Selling, general and administrative													3,341		3,445		1,532
Depreciation and amortization													12,522		12,736		13,028
Impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets															0		0
(Gain) loss on sales of real estate													(28,168)		0		0
Total operating expenses													(5,852)		19,671		22,898
Total operating profit (loss)													15,814		(9,857)		(9,759)
(Loss) income on equity investment, net													0		0		0
Interest and dividend income													0		0		2
Interest expense													(403)		(826)		(966)
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt													(51)				0
Gain on investment transactions, net													0				3,250
Write-downs of investments													0
Other non-operating items, net													0		0		0
Intercompany income (charges)													(236)		(348)		(356)
(Loss) Income from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes													15,124		(11,031)		(7,829)
Income tax benefit													(39,469)		102,456		(2,790)
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes													0		0		0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations													54,593		(113,487)		(5,039)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes													807		2,023		(3,796)
Net Income (Loss)													55,400
Net income from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests													(3,378)
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to Tribune Media Company													52,022		(111,464)		(8,835)
Comprehensive Income (Loss) attributable to Tribune Media Company													$ 65,136		$ (113,279)		$ (19,003)

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

[2] See Note 5 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for information pertaining to non-operating items recorded in 2017 and 2016.