Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Statements of Operations and Comprehensive (Loss) Income (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended																		12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018		Sep. 30, 2018		Jun. 30, 2018		Mar. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Sep. 30, 2017		Jun. 30, 2017		Mar. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016	Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues	$ 578,733		$ 498,008		$ 489,358		$ 443,635		$ 488,999		$ 450,533		$ 469,517		$ 439,910				$ 2,009,734	[1]	$ 1,848,959	[1]	$ 1,947,930	[1]
Programming and direct operating expenses																			890,429		995,838		906,333
Selling, general and administrative																			567,798		573,008		620,422
Depreciation and amortization																			220,921		222,993		225,489
Gain on sales of spectrum																			(133,197)		0		0
Gain on sales of real estate, net																	$ (1,000)	$ 1,000	(24,657)		(28,533)		(213,086)
Total operating expenses																			1,521,294		1,763,306		1,539,158
Total operating profit (loss)	165,965		37,124		98,066		187,285		123,419		(29,452)		12,653		(20,967)				488,440	[1]	85,653	[1]	408,772	[1]
Income on equity investment, net	45,249		32,381		52,568		39,137		38,506		21,058		40,761		37,037				169,335		137,362		148,156
Interest and dividend income	4,751		3,239		2,336		1,898		1,269		827		548		505				12,224		3,149		1,226
Interest expense	(43,570)		(42,842)		(41,990)		(40,631)		(40,055)		(40,389)		(40,185)		(38,758)				(169,033)		(159,387)		(152,719)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net	7,035		7,035		6,985		7,084		5,704		5,703		5,673		5,735				28,139		22,815		24,802
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt									0	[2]	(1,435)	[2]	0	[2]	(19,052)	[2]			0		(20,487)	[2]	0
(Loss) gain on investment transactions, net	0	[2]	(5,001)	[2]	0	[2]	3,888	[2]	(2,486)	[2]	5,667	[2]	0	[2]	4,950	[2]			(1,113)	[2]	8,131	[2]	0
Write-downs of investments									(12,694)	[2]	0	[2]	(58,800)	[2]	(122,000)	[2]			0		(193,494)	[2]	0
Other non-operating items, net																			(2,332)		(2,038)		4,005
Intercompany income (charges)																			0		0		0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	178,867		31,654		117,254		197,885		113,032		(38,774)		(39,728)		(152,826)				525,660		(118,296)		434,242
Income tax (benefit) expense	46,034		(22,422)		32,816		56,702		(219,767)		(20,087)		(9,905)		(51,614)				113,130		(301,373)		347,202
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes																			0		0		0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations	132,833		54,076		84,438		141,183		332,799		(18,687)		(29,823)		(101,212)				412,530		183,077		87,040
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes	0		0		0		0		(619)		0		(579)		15,618				0		14,420		(72,794)
Net Income	132,833		54,076		84,438		141,183		332,180		(18,687)		(30,402)		(85,594)				412,530		197,497		14,246
Net loss (income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests	8		23		4		6		(3,378)		0		0		0				41		(3,378)		0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company	$ 132,841		$ 54,099		$ 84,442		$ 141,189		$ 328,802		$ (18,687)		$ (30,402)		$ (85,594)				412,571		194,119		14,246
Comprehensive Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			369,996		227,840		3,480
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
Gain on sales of spectrum																			0
Gain on sales of real estate, net																			0		0		0
Total operating expenses																			0		0		0
Total operating profit (loss)																			0		0		0
Income on equity investment, net																			0		0		0
Interest and dividend income																			0		0		0
Interest expense																			0		0		0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net																			0		0		0
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt																					0
(Loss) 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
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes																			0		0		0
Income tax (benefit) expense																			0		0		0
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes																			(533,243)		(359,477)		(253,599)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations																			(533,243)		(359,477)		(253,599)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes																			0		1,097		60,754
Net Income																			(533,243)		(358,380)		(192,845)
Net loss (income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests																			0		0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			(533,243)		(358,380)
Comprehensive Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			(534,114)		(377,518)		(188,634)
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																			111,976		129,112		121,824
Depreciation and amortization																			8,232		11,522		11,249
Gain on sales of spectrum																			0
Gain on sales of real estate, net																			0		0		0
Total operating expenses																			120,208		140,634		133,073
Total operating profit (loss)																			(120,208)		(140,634)		(133,073)
Income on equity investment, net																			0		(2,016)		(2,549)
Interest and dividend income																			12,222		3,085		1,149
Interest expense																			(169,033)		(158,984)		(151,893)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net																			28,139		22,815		24,802
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt																					(20,436)
(Loss) gain on investment transactions, net																			0		4,807
Write-downs of investments																					(10,194)
Other non-operating items, net																			(2,332)		(1,557)		4,005
Intercompany income (charges)																			87,747		110,254		103,327
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes																			(163,465)		(192,860)		(154,232)
Income tax (benefit) expense																			(41,911)		(28,578)		13,610
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes																			534,125		343,981		254,882
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations																			412,571		179,699		87,040
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes																			0		14,420		(72,794)
Net Income																			412,571		194,119		14,246
Net loss (income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests																			0		0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			412,571		194,119
Comprehensive Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			369,996		227,840		3,480
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues																			1,999,384		1,838,997		1,938,116
Programming and direct operating expenses																			887,617		989,385		902,843
Selling, general and administrative																			453,048		440,555		495,153
Depreciation and amortization																			200,930		198,949		201,504
Gain on sales of spectrum																			(133,197)
Gain on sales of real estate, net																			(653)		(365)		(213,086)
Total operating expenses																			1,407,745		1,628,524		1,386,414
Total operating profit (loss)																			591,639		210,473		551,702
Income on equity investment, net																			159,685		140,780		122,416
Interest and dividend income																			0		54		49
Interest expense																			0		0		0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net																			0		0		0
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt																					0
(Loss) gain on investment transactions, net																			0		0
Write-downs of investments																					(2,500)
Other non-operating items, net																			0		(481)		0
Intercompany income (charges)																			(87,319)		(109,873)		(101,615)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes																			664,005		238,453		572,552
Income tax (benefit) expense																			152,010		(169,048)		220,572
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes																			(882)		15,496		(1,283)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations																			511,113		422,997		350,697
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes																			0		(1,904)		(62,777)
Net Income																			511,113		421,093		287,920
Net loss (income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests																			0		0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			511,113		421,093
Comprehensive Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			511,029		422,840		288,034
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues																			10,350		9,962		9,814
Programming and direct operating expenses																			2,812		6,453		3,490
Selling, general and administrative																			2,774		3,341		3,445
Depreciation and amortization																			11,759		12,522		12,736
Gain on sales of spectrum																			0
Gain on sales of real estate, net																			(24,004)		(28,168)		0
Total operating expenses																			(6,659)		(5,852)		19,671
Total operating profit (loss)																			17,009		15,814		(9,857)
Income on equity investment, net																			9,650		(1,402)		28,289
Interest and dividend income																			2		10		28
Interest expense																			0		(403)		(826)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net																			0		0		0
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt																					(51)
(Loss) gain on investment transactions, net																			(1,113)		3,324
Write-downs of investments																					(180,800)
Other non-operating items, net																			0		0		0
Intercompany income (charges)																			(428)		(381)		(1,712)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes																			25,120		(163,889)		15,922
Income tax (benefit) expense																			3,031		(103,747)		113,020
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes																			0		0		0
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations																			22,089		(60,142)		(97,098)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes																			0		807		2,023
Net Income																			22,089		(59,335)		(95,075)
Net loss (income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests																			41		(3,378)
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			22,130		(62,713)
Comprehensive Income attributable to Tribune Media Company																			$ 23,085		$ (45,322)		$ (99,400)

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

[2] See Note 3 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for information pertaining to non-operating items recorded in 2018 and 2017.