Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	$ 469,205,000		$ 222,585,000		$ 284,165,000
Capital expenditures	(76,188,000)		(66,832,000)		(99,659,000)
Spectrum repack reimbursements	11,276,000		984,000		0
Net proceeds from the sale of business	0		554,487,000		0
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction	0		172,102,000		0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	59,153,000		144,464,000		507,692,000
Proceeds from sales of investments	15,232,000		148,321,000		0
Distributions from equity investment	0		3,768,000		0
Other, net	1,501,000		(4,260,000)		(5,993,000)
Intercompany dividends					0
Net cash provided by investing activities	10,974,000		953,034,000		402,040,000
Long-term borrowings	0		202,694,000		0
Repayments of Long-term Debt	0		(703,527,000)		(27,842,000)
Long-term debt issuance debt	0		(1,689,000)		(736,000)
Payments of dividends	(87,709,000)		(586,336,000)		(90,296,000)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(6,386,000)		(8,774,000)		(4,553,000)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	1,838,000		11,317,000		0
Common stock repurchases	0		0		(232,065,000)
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests, net	475,000		(9,251,000)		393,000
Settlements of contingent consideration, net	0		0		(3,636,000)
Intercompany dividends					0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Net cash used in financing activities	(91,782,000)		(1,095,566,000)		(358,735,000)
Net Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	388,397,000		80,053,000		327,470,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year (1)	691,251,000		611,198,000		283,728,000	[4]
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	1,079,648,000		691,251,000		611,198,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,063,041,000		673,685,000		577,658,000
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations	0		0		12,751,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	16,607,000		17,566,000		17,566,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations	0		0		3,223,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	1,079,648,000		691,251,000		611,198,000
Non-cash settlement of intercompany balances	26,000,000		54,000,000		56,000,000
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
Spectrum repack reimbursements	0		0
Net proceeds from the sale of business			0
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			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
Other, net	0		0		0
Intercompany dividends					(3,326,000)
Net cash provided by investing activities	0		0		(3,326,000)
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of Long-term Debt			0		0
Long-term debt issuance debt			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
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests, net	0		0		0
Settlements of contingent consideration, net					0
Intercompany dividends					3,326,000
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	0	[1]	0	[2]	0	[3]
Net cash used in financing activities	0		0		3,326,000
Net Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	0		0		0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year (1)	0		0		0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	0		0		0
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	0		0		0
Parent Company | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(134,808,000)		(160,529,000)		(5,690,000)
Capital expenditures	(8,944,000)		(8,943,000)		(10,199,000)
Spectrum repack reimbursements	0		0
Net proceeds from the sale of business			574,817,000
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	0		0		0
Proceeds from sales of investments	0		5,769,000
Distributions from equity investment			0
Other, net	0		0		(850,000)
Intercompany dividends					3,326,000
Net cash provided by investing activities	(8,944,000)		571,643,000		(7,723,000)
Long-term borrowings			202,694,000
Repayments of Long-term Debt			(688,708,000)		(23,792,000)
Long-term debt issuance debt			(1,689,000)		(736,000)
Payments of dividends	(87,709,000)		(586,336,000)		(90,296,000)
Tax withholdings related to net share settlements of share-based awards	(6,386,000)		(8,774,000)		(4,553,000)
Proceeds from stock option exercises	1,838,000		11,317,000
Common stock repurchases					(232,065,000)
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests, net	0		0		0
Settlements of contingent consideration, net					0
Intercompany dividends					0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	623,709,000	[1]	756,046,000	[2]	703,956,000	[3]
Net cash used in financing activities	531,452,000		(315,450,000)		352,514,000
Net Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	387,700,000		95,664,000		339,101,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year (1)	687,868,000		592,204,000		253,103,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	1,075,568,000		687,868,000		592,204,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents	1,058,961,000		670,302,000		574,638,000
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	16,607,000		17,566,000		17,566,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					0
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	1,075,568,000		687,868,000		592,204,000
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	607,150,000		357,107,000		399,917,000
Capital expenditures	(63,480,000)		(52,784,000)		(82,043,000)
Spectrum repack reimbursements	11,276,000		984,000
Net proceeds from the sale of business			(8,168,000)
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			172,102,000
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	6,604,000		61,345,000		507,011,000
Proceeds from sales of investments	0		0
Distributions from equity investment			0
Other, net	(112,000)		(65,000)		(2,613,000)
Intercompany dividends					0
Net cash provided by investing activities	(45,712,000)		173,414,000		422,355,000
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of Long-term Debt			0		0
Long-term debt issuance debt			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
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests, net	0		0		0
Settlements of contingent consideration, net					(750,000)
Intercompany dividends					0
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	(562,035,000)	[1]	(536,398,000)	[2]	(827,361,000)	[3]
Net cash used in financing activities	(562,035,000)		(536,398,000)		(828,111,000)
Net Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	(597,000)		(5,877,000)		(5,839,000)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year (1)	1,501,000		7,378,000		13,217,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	904,000		1,501,000		7,378,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents	904,000		1,501,000		720,000
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					3,807,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					2,851,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	904,000		1,501,000		7,378,000
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Cash Flow Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities	(3,137,000)		26,007,000		(110,062,000)
Capital expenditures	(3,764,000)		(5,105,000)		(7,417,000)
Spectrum repack reimbursements	0		0
Net proceeds from the sale of business			(12,162,000)
Proceeds from FCC spectrum auction			0
Proceeds from sales of real estate and other assets	52,549,000		83,119,000		681,000
Proceeds from sales of investments	15,232,000		142,552,000
Distributions from equity investment			3,768,000
Other, net	1,613,000		(4,195,000)		(2,530,000)
Intercompany dividends					0
Net cash provided by investing activities	65,630,000		207,977,000		(9,266,000)
Long-term borrowings			0
Repayments of Long-term Debt			(14,819,000)		(4,050,000)
Long-term debt issuance debt			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
Contributions from (distributions to) noncontrolling interests, net	475,000		(9,251,000)		393,000
Settlements of contingent consideration, net					(2,886,000)
Intercompany dividends					(3,326,000)
Change in intercompany receivables and payables and intercompany contributions (1)	(61,674,000)	[1]	(219,648,000)	[2]	123,405,000	[3]
Net cash used in financing activities	(61,199,000)		(243,718,000)		113,536,000
Net Increase in Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	1,294,000		(9,734,000)		(5,792,000)
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of year (1)	1,882,000		11,616,000		17,408,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	3,176,000		1,882,000		11,616,000
Cash and Cash Equivalents are Comprised of:
Cash and cash equivalents	3,176,000		1,882,000		2,300,000
Cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					8,944,000
Restricted cash and cash equivalents	0		0		0
Restricted cash and cash equivalents classified as discontinued operations					372,000
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of year	$ 3,176,000		$ 1,882,000		$ 11,616,000

[1] 1)Excludes the impact of a $26 million non-cash settlement of intercompany balances upon dissolution of certain Non-Guarantor subsidiaries.

[2] (1)Excludes the impact of a $54 million non-cash settlement of intercompany balances upon dissolution of certain Guarantor and Non-Guarantor subsidiaries included in the Gracenote Sale.

[3] (1)Excludes the impact of a $56 million non-cash settlement of intercompany balances upon dissolution of certain Guarantor subsidiaries.

[4] (1) Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the year ended December 31, 2016 of $284 million are comprised of $265 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash from continuing operations as reflected in the Company’s unaudited Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets and $18 million of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reflected in total assets of discontinued operations.