Business Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended			9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017		Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017		Dec. 31, 2017
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	[1]	$ 498,008	$ 450,533		$ 1,431,001	$ 1,359,960
Operating profit (loss)	[1],[2]	37,124	(29,452)		322,475	(37,766)
Depreciation		13,501	14,263		40,557	41,761
Amortization		41,675	41,678		125,043	125,001
Capital expenditures		22,505	13,324		47,452	41,423
Total Assets	[3]	8,161,493			8,161,493			$ 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		494,619	447,307	[7]	1,421,738	1,349,401	[7]
Operating Segments | Television and Entertainment
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	[1]	494,619	447,307		1,421,738	1,349,401
Operating profit (loss)	[1],[2]	67,295	(1,357)		398,914	68,875
Depreciation		11,313	10,844		33,124	31,413
Amortization		41,675	41,678		125,043	125,001
Capital expenditures		17,665	8,140		35,224	30,674
Total Assets		6,975,851			6,975,851			7,197,859
Corporate and Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Operating revenues	[1]	3,389	3,226		9,263	10,559
Operating profit (loss)	[1],[2]	(30,171)	(28,095)		(76,439)	(106,641)
Depreciation		2,188	3,419		7,433	10,348
Capital expenditures		4,840	$ 5,184		12,228	$ 9,171
Total Assets		$ 1,156,687			$ 1,156,687			$ 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, pension and other postretirement period benefit cost (credit), non-operating items, reorganization costs and income taxes.

[3] (1) The Company’s consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total assets of variable interest entities (“VIEs”) of $75 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 both September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $29 million, 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.