Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2019	Mar. 31, 2018
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		$ 454,988	$ 443,635
Programming and direct operating expenses		219,050	202,129
Selling, general and administrative		133,262	131,956
Depreciation and amortization		47,973	55,462
Gain on sales of spectrum		0	(133,197)
Total operating expenses		400,285	256,350
Operating (Loss) Profit	[1]	54,703	187,285
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		45,685	39,137
Interest income		6,247	1,898
Interest expense		(43,615)	(40,631)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		4,630	7,084
Gain on investment transactions		86,272	3,888
Other non-operating items, net		(2,941)	(776)
Intercompany income (charges)		0	0
Income Before Income Taxes		150,981	197,885
Income tax (benefit) expense		37,777	56,702
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		0	0
Net Income		113,204	141,183
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		4	6
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		113,208	141,189
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		107,596	149,681
Eliminations
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		0	0
Programming and direct operating expenses		0	0
Selling, general and administrative		0	0
Depreciation and amortization		0	0
Gain on sales of spectrum			0
Total operating expenses		0	0
Operating (Loss) Profit		0	0
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		0	0
Interest income		0	0
Interest expense		0	0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		0	0
Gain on investment transactions		0	0
Other non-operating items, net		0	0
Intercompany income (charges)		0	0
Income Before Income Taxes		0	0
Income tax (benefit) expense		0	0
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		(139,939)	(178,576)
Net Income		(139,939)	(178,576)
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		(139,939)	(178,576)
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		(139,611)	(179,011)
Parent (Tribune Media Company) | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		0	0
Programming and direct operating expenses		0	0
Selling, general and administrative		23,573	22,864
Depreciation and amortization		1,743	2,404
Gain on sales of spectrum			0
Total operating expenses		25,316	25,268
Operating (Loss) Profit		(25,316)	(25,268)
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		0	0
Interest income		6,246	1,898
Interest expense		(43,615)	(40,631)
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		4,630	7,084
Gain on investment transactions		0	0
Other non-operating items, net		(1,202)	(776)
Intercompany income (charges)		23,578	12,413
Income Before Income Taxes		(35,679)	(45,280)
Income tax (benefit) expense		(8,788)	(7,555)
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		140,099	178,914
Net Income		113,208	141,189
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		113,208	141,189
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		107,596	149,681
Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		453,637	440,891
Programming and direct operating expenses		218,352	201,343
Selling, general and administrative		108,804	108,372
Depreciation and amortization		43,370	49,932
Gain on sales of spectrum			(133,197)
Total operating expenses		370,526	226,450
Operating (Loss) Profit		83,111	214,441
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		46,457	39,358
Interest income		0	0
Interest expense		0	0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		0	0
Gain on investment transactions		0	0
Other non-operating items, net		(1,000)	0
Intercompany income (charges)		(23,578)	(12,371)
Income Before Income Taxes		104,990	241,428
Income tax (benefit) expense		28,647	63,850
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		(160)	(338)
Net Income		76,183	177,240
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		0	0
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		76,183	177,240
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		76,168	177,215
Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries | Reportable Legal Entities
Condensed Statement of Income Captions [Line Items]
Operating Revenues		1,351	2,744
Programming and direct operating expenses		698	786
Selling, general and administrative		885	720
Depreciation and amortization		2,860	3,126
Gain on sales of spectrum			0
Total operating expenses		4,443	4,632
Operating (Loss) Profit		(3,092)	(1,888)
Income (loss) on equity investments, net		(772)	(221)
Interest income		1	0
Interest expense		0	0
Pension and other postretirement periodic benefit credit, net		0	0
Gain on investment transactions		86,272	3,888
Other non-operating items, net		(739)	0
Intercompany income (charges)		0	(42)
Income Before Income Taxes		81,670	1,737
Income tax (benefit) expense		17,918	407
Equity (deficit) in earnings of consolidated subsidiaries, net of taxes		0	0
Net Income		63,752	1,330
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests		4	6
Net Income attributable to Tribune Media Company		63,756	1,336
Comprehensive Income (Loss)		$ 63,443	$ 1,796

[1] (1)Operating profit (loss) for each segment excludes income and loss on equity investments, interest income, interest expense, pension and other postretirement period benefit cost (credit), non-operating items, reorganization costs and income taxes.