Assets Held for Sale, Number of Properties Held for Sale

No definition available.

Name:	trco_AssetsHeldforSaleNumberofPropertiesHeldforSale
Namespace Prefix:	trco_
Data Type:	xbrli:integerItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

Assets Held for Sale, Number of Properties Sold

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	trco_AssetsHeldforSaleNumberofPropertiesSold
Namespace Prefix:	trco_
Data Type:	xbrli:decimalItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties, Deferred

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	trco_GainLossonSaleofPropertiesDeferred
Namespace Prefix:	trco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Proceeds from Federal Communications Commission spectrum auction

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	trco_ProceedsfromFCCspectrumauction
Namespace Prefix:	trco_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Amount of gain (loss) on sale or disposal of intangible assets.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 225
-SubTopic 10
-Section S99
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-03.7,9)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=63488584&loc=d3e20235-122688

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GainLossOnDispositionOfIntangibleAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The difference between the carrying value and the sale price of real estate or properties that were intended to be sold or held for capital appreciation or rental income. This element refers to the gain (loss) included in earnings and not to the cash proceeds of the sale. This element is a noncash adjustment to net income when calculating net cash generated by operating activities using the indirect method.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 28
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3602-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_GainLossOnSaleOfProperties
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Cash received for the sale of real estate that is not part of an investing activity during the current period.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 230
-SubTopic 10
-Section 45
-Paragraph 12
-Subparagraph (c)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=98514028&loc=d3e3179-108585

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_ProceedsFromSaleOfRealEstate
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

A description of the terms of the lease(s) related to the assets being leased-back in connection with the transaction involving the sale of property to another party and the lease of the property back to the seller.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 1
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77913982&loc=d3e50796-112755

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 840
-SubTopic 10
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=84164451&loc=d3e36991-112694

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef
-Publisher FASB
-Name Accounting Standards Codification
-Topic 842
-SubTopic 40
-Section 50
-Paragraph 2
-Subparagraph (a)
-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=77888430&loc=SL77919786-209982

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_SaleLeasebackTransactionLeaseTerms
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_IndefiniteLivedIntangibleAssetsByMajorClassAxis=us-gaap_LicensingAgreementsMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleByAssetTypeAxis=trco_DenverCOPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleByAssetTypeAxis=trco_ChicagoILPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleByAssetTypeAxis=trco_BaltimoreMDPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleByAssetTypeAxis=trco_WilliamsburgVAPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_StatementScenarioAxis=us-gaap_ScenarioForecastMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleByAssetTypeAxis=trco_HartfordCTPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_SubsequentEventTypeAxis=us-gaap_SubsequentEventMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_LongLivedAssetsHeldForSaleByAssetTypeAxis=trco_MelvilleNYPropertyMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

Assets Held For Sale and Sales of Real Estate Narrative (Details) $ in Thousands								3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Oct. 23, 2018 USD ($)	Oct. 09, 2018 USD ($)	Aug. 04, 2017 USD ($)	May 22, 2017 USD ($) property	Apr. 21, 2017 USD ($) property	Jan. 31, 2017 USD ($) property	Jan. 26, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2018 USD ($) property	Sep. 30, 2017 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Assets Held for Sale, Number of Properties Held for Sale \| property											1
Proceeds from sale of real estate												$ 61,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties										$ 65	$ 0	365
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction											$ 0	$ 172,102	$ 172,000
FCC Licenses
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Intangible Assets									$ 133,000
Denver, CO Property
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate							$ 23,000
Chicago, IL Property
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate					$ 1,000	$ 22,000
Assets Held for Sale, Number of Properties Sold \| property					2	1
Sale Leaseback Transaction, Lease Terms						P10Y
Gain (loss) on sales of real estate, deferred						$ 13,000
Baltimore, MD Property
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate				$ 15,000
Assets Held for Sale, Number of Properties Sold \| property				2
Williamsburg, VA Property
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate			$ 1,000
Scenario, Forecast \| Hartford, CT Property
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties								$ 1,000
Subsequent Event
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate								59,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties								$ 25,000
Subsequent Event \| Melville, NY Property
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate		$ 53,000
Gain (Loss) on Sale of Properties		$ 24,000
Subsequent Event \| Hartford, CT Property
Long Lived Assets Held-for-sale [Line Items]
Proceeds from sale of real estate	$ 6,000