Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 28, 2014
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 222,502		$ 284,163	$ 25,944
Capital expenditures	(66,832)		(99,659)	(89,084)
Investments	(5,065)		(5,993)	(23,042)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	0		0	(74,959)
Net proceeds from the sale of business	557,793		0	0
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction	172,102		0	0
Sale of partial interest of equity method investment	142,552		0	0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	144,464		507,692	4,930
Proceeds from sales of investments	5,769		0	44,982
Distributions from equity investment	3,768		0	10,328
Other	1,789		297	1,112
Intercompany dividends			0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	956,340		402,337	(125,733)
Long-term borrowings	202,694		0	1,100,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt	(703,527)		(27,842)	(1,114,262)
Long-term debt issuance debt	(1,689)		(736)	(20,202)
Payments of dividends	(586,336)		(90,296)	(719,919)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(8,774)		(4,553)	(4,421)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	11,317		0	166
Common stock repurchases	0		(232,065)	(339,942)
(Distributions to) contributions from noncontrolling interests, net	(9,251)		393	5,524
Settlements of contingent consideration, net	0		(3,636)	1,174
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards	0		0	(868)
Intercompany dividends			0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	0	[1]	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	(1,095,566)		(358,735)	(1,092,750)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	83,276		327,765	(1,192,539)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	590,409		262,644	1,455,183
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	673,685		590,409	262,644
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents					$ 673,685	$ 577,658	$ 247,820	$ 1,455,183
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					0	12,751	14,824
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	590,409		262,644	1,455,183	673,685	590,409	262,644	1,455,183
Non-cash settlement of intercompany balances	54,000		56,000
Consolidation, Eliminations
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	0		0	0
Capital expenditures	0		0	0
Investments	0		0	0
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired				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	0
Proceeds from sales of investments	0			0
Distributions from equity investment	0			0
Other	0		0	0
Intercompany dividends			(3,326)
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	0		(3,326)	0
Long-term borrowings	0			0
Repayments of Long-term Debt	0		0	0
Long-term debt issuance debt	0		0	0
Payments of dividends	0		0	0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0		0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0			0
Common stock repurchases			0	0
(Distributions to) contributions from noncontrolling interests, net	0		0	0
Settlements of contingent consideration, net			0	0
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards				0
Intercompany dividends			3,326
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	0	[1]	0	0
Net cash used in financing activities	0		3,326	0
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	0		0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	0		0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	0		0	0
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents					0	0	0	0
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations						0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	0		0	0	0	0	0
Parent Company | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(160,529)		(4,987)	(47,422)
Capital expenditures	(8,943)		(10,199)	(20,775)
Investments	0		(850)	(15,000)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired				0
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	0
Proceeds from sales of investments	5,769			103
Distributions from equity investment	0			0
Other	0		0	0
Intercompany dividends			3,326
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	571,643		(7,723)	(35,672)
Long-term borrowings	202,694			1,100,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt	(688,708)		(23,792)	(1,110,159)
Long-term debt issuance debt	(1,689)		(736)	(20,202)
Payments of dividends	(586,336)		(90,296)	(719,919)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(8,774)		(4,553)	(4,421)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	11,317			166
Common stock repurchases			(232,065)	(339,942)
(Distributions to) contributions from noncontrolling interests, net	0		0	0
Settlements of contingent consideration, net			0	0
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards				(868)
Intercompany dividends			0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	756,046	[1]	703,282	(19,441)
Net cash used in financing activities	(315,450)		351,840	(1,114,786)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	95,664		339,130	(1,197,880)
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	574,638		235,508
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	670,302		574,638	235,508
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents					670,302	574,638	235,508	1,433,388
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations						0	0
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	574,638		235,508	235,508	670,302	574,638	235,508
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	391,686		395,861	190,327
Capital expenditures	(52,784)		(82,043)	(64,318)
Investments	(65)		(2,643)	(542)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired				(5,109)
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	61,345		507,011	4,930
Proceeds from sales of investments	0			36,579
Distributions from equity investment	3,768			10,328
Other	984		297	1,112
Intercompany dividends			0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	322,653		422,622	(17,020)
Long-term borrowings	0			0
Repayments of Long-term Debt	0		0	(54)
Long-term debt issuance debt	0		0	0
Payments of dividends	0		0	0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0		0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0			0
Common stock repurchases			0	0
(Distributions to) contributions from noncontrolling interests, net	0		0	0
Settlements of contingent consideration, net			(750)	4,088
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards				0
Intercompany dividends			(3,326)
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	(717,365)	[1]	(822,934)	(176,491)
Net cash used in financing activities	(717,365)		(827,010)	(172,457)
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(3,026)		(8,527)	850
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	4,527		13,054
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	1,501		4,527	13,054
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents					1,501	720	7,011	12,204
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations						3,807	6,043
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	4,527		13,054	13,054	1,501	4,527	13,054
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(8,655)		(106,711)	(116,961)
Capital expenditures	(5,105)		(7,417)	(3,991)
Investments	(5,000)		(2,500)	(7,500)
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired				(69,850)
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	83,119		681	0
Proceeds from sales of investments	0			8,300
Distributions from equity investment	0			0
Other	805		0	0
Intercompany dividends			0
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	62,044		(9,236)	(73,041)
Long-term borrowings	0			0
Repayments of Long-term Debt	(14,819)		(4,050)	(4,049)
Long-term debt issuance debt	0		0	0
Payments of dividends	0		0	0
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	0		0	0
Proceeds from stock option exercises	0			0
Common stock repurchases			0	0
(Distributions to) contributions from noncontrolling interests, net	(9,251)		393	5,524
Settlements of contingent consideration, net			(2,886)	(2,914)
Change in excess tax benefits from stock-based awards				0
Intercompany dividends			0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	(38,681)	[1]	119,652	195,932
Net cash used in financing activities	(62,751)		113,109	194,493
Net Increase (Decrease) in Cash and Cash Equivalents	(9,362)		(2,838)	4,491
Cash and cash equivalents, beginning of year	11,244		14,082
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	1,882		11,244	14,082
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents					1,882	2,300	5,301	$ 9,591
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations						8,944	8,781
Cash and cash equivalents, end of year	$ 11,244		$ 14,082	$ 14,082	$ 1,882	$ 11,244	$ 14,082

[1] Excludes the impact of a $54 million non-cash settlement of intercompany balances upon dissolution of certain Guarantor subsidiaries.