Business Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
		Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017		Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2017		Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	[1]	$ 489,358	$ 469,517		$ 932,993	$ 909,427
Operating profit (loss)	[1],[2]	98,066	12,653		285,351	(8,314)
Depreciation		13,281	13,927		27,056	27,498
Amortization		41,681	41,664		83,368	83,323
Capital expenditures		11,274	13,465		24,947	28,099
Total Assets	[3]	8,059,318			8,059,318			$ 8,169,328
Assets held for sale	[4]	28,955			28,955			38,900
Gracenote Companies | Discontinued Operations, Disposed of by Sale
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Capital expenditures		0	0		0	1,578	[5],[6]
Television and Entertainment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues		486,417	466,061	[7]	927,119	902,094	[7]
Operating Segments | Television and Entertainment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	[1]	486,417	466,061		927,119	902,094
Operating profit (loss)	[1],[2]	119,767	50,219		331,619	70,232
Depreciation		10,941	10,530		21,811	20,569
Amortization		41,681	41,664		83,368	83,323
Capital expenditures		7,433	11,727		17,559	22,534
Total Assets		6,970,720			6,970,720			7,197,859
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	[1]	2,941	3,456		5,874	7,333
Operating profit (loss)	[1],[2]	(21,701)	(37,566)		(46,268)	(78,546)
Depreciation		2,340	3,397		5,245	6,929
Capital expenditures		3,841	$ 1,738		7,388	$ 3,987
Total Assets		$ 1,059,643			$ 1,059,643			$ 932,569

[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 profit (loss) 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] (1) The Company’s consolidated total assets as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total assets of variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $74 million and $81 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. The Company’s consolidated total liabilities as of June 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $26 million and $29 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to the Company (see Note 1).

[4] (3)See Note 3 for information regarding assets held for sale.

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

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

[7] (1)Prior period amounts have not been adjusted under the modified retrospective method.