Consolidated Statements of Operations - USD ($) $ in Thousands		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2018		Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Operating Revenues
Total operating revenues	[1]	$ 2,009,734		$ 1,848,959		$ 1,947,930
Operating Expenses
Programming		489,063		604,068		515,738
Direct operating expenses		401,366		391,770		390,595
Selling, general and administrative		567,798		573,008		620,422
Depreciation	[2]	54,206		56,314		58,825
Amortization	[2]	166,715		166,679		166,664
Gain on sales of spectrum		(133,197)		0		0
Gain on sales of real estate, net		(24,657)		(28,533)		(213,086)
Total operating expenses		1,521,294		1,763,306		1,539,158
Total operating profit	[1]	488,440		85,653		408,772
Income on equity investments, net		169,335		137,362		148,156
Interest and dividend income		12,224		3,149		1,226
Interest expense		(169,033)		(159,387)		(152,719)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		28,139		22,815		24,802
Loss on extinguishments and modification of debt		0		(20,487)	[3]	0
(Loss) gain on investment transactions, net		(1,113)	[3]	8,131	[3]	0
Write-downs of investments		0		(193,494)	[3]	0
Other non-operating gain, net		68	[3]	71	[3]	5,427
Reorganization items, net		(2,400)	[4]	(2,109)	[4]	(1,422)
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes		525,660		(118,296)		434,242
Income tax expense (benefit)		113,130		(301,373)		347,202
Income from Continuing Operations		412,530		183,077		87,040
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, net of taxes (Note 2)		0		14,420		(72,794)
Net Income		412,530		197,497		14,246
Net loss (income) from continuing operations attributable to noncontrolling interests		41		(3,378)		0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		$ 412,571		$ 194,119		$ 14,246
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Continuing Operations		$ 4.71		$ 2.06		$ 0.96
Discontinued Operations		0.00		0.17		(0.80)
Net Earnings Per Common Share		4.71		2.23		0.16
Continuing Operations		4.67		2.04		0.96
Discontinued Operations		0.00		0.16		(0.80)
Net Earnings Per Common Share		$ 4.67		$ 2.20		$ 0.16
Corporate, Non-Segment
Operating Revenues
Total operating revenues	[1]	$ 11,056		$ 13,536		$ 38,034
Operating Expenses
Depreciation	[2]	9,440		13,601		13,742
Total operating profit	[1]	(94,831)		(110,447)		83,935
Television and Entertainment
Operating Revenues
Total operating revenues		1,998,678		1,835,423	[5]	1,909,896	[5]
Television and Entertainment | Advertising
Operating Revenues
Total operating revenues		1,315,769		1,225,900	[5]	1,374,571	[5]
Television and Entertainment | Retransmission revenue and carriage fees
Operating Revenues
Total operating revenues		632,846		540,244		455,768
Television and Entertainment | Other revenue
Operating Revenues
Total operating revenues		$ 50,063		$ 69,279		$ 79,557

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

[2] (2)Depreciation from discontinued operations totaled $14 million for the year ended December 31, 2016. Amortization from discontinued operations totaled $30 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.

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

[4] See Note 10 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements for information pertaining to reorganization items recorded in 2018 and 2017.

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