CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	$ 64,579	$ 17,682	$ 395,546	$ 280,104
Accounts and other receivables	384,570	383,503
Other current assets	94,650	118,476
Assets held for sale	0	6,504
Total current assets	543,799	526,165
Property and equipment, net	741,854	752,538
Assets held for sale	1,843	8,817
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	1,951,302	1,964,553
Broadcast licenses	130,915	135,075
Definite-lived intangible assets	1,792,919	1,818,263
Other long-term assets	218,349	204,917
Total assets	5,380,981	5,410,328
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	236,239	258,371
Current portion of long-term debt	61,935	113,116
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	2,881	2,625
Other current liabilities	95,826	117,417
Liabilities held for sale		2,477
Total current liabilities	396,881	494,006
Long-term debt	3,808,085	3,754,822
Affiliate long-term debt	16,775	16,309
Other liabilities	712,981	739,848
Total liabilities	4,934,722	5,004,985
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity	469,059	427,882
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(22,800)	(22,539)
Total liabilities and equity	5,380,981	5,410,328
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	0	0	0	0
Accounts and other receivables	0	0
Other current assets	2,456	5,741
Assets held for sale		0
Total current assets	2,456	5,741
Property and equipment, net	3,416	3,949
Assets held for sale	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	438,600	395,225
Goodwill	0	0
Broadcast licenses	0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets	0	0
Other long-term assets	59,027	65,988
Total assets	503,499	470,903
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	161	541
Current portion of long-term debt	217	529
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	1,556	1,464
Other current liabilities	1,208	1,208
Liabilities held for sale		0
Total current liabilities	3,142	3,742
Long-term debt	0	0
Affiliate long-term debt	2,700	3,508
Other liabilities	28,598	35,771
Total liabilities	34,440	43,021
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity	469,059	427,882
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	503,499	470,903
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	49,400	3,394	382,989	237,974
Accounts and other receivables	0	164
Other current assets	15,466	12,996
Assets held for sale		0
Total current assets	64,866	16,554
Property and equipment, net	21,783	17,554
Assets held for sale	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	3,476,007	3,585,037
Goodwill	0	0
Broadcast licenses	0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets	0	0
Other long-term assets	636,526	555,877
Total assets	4,199,182	4,175,022
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	42,461	46,083
Current portion of long-term debt	49,547	42,953
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Liabilities held for sale		0
Total current liabilities	92,008	89,036
Long-term debt	3,623,777	3,638,286
Affiliate long-term debt	0	0
Other liabilities	29,278	28,856
Total liabilities	3,745,063	3,756,178
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity	454,119	418,844
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	4,199,182	4,175,022
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	1,068	1,749	488	28,594
Accounts and other receivables	356,389	359,486
Other current assets	63,074	98,751
Assets held for sale		0
Total current assets	420,531	459,986
Property and equipment, net	551,889	569,372
Assets held for sale	1,843	1,843
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	4,079	3,978
Goodwill	1,947,027	1,963,254
Broadcast licenses	113,955	118,115
Definite-lived intangible assets	1,659,249	1,698,919
Other long-term assets	115,999	132,611
Total assets	4,814,572	4,948,078
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	181,306	201,102
Current portion of long-term debt	1,437	1,302
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	1,136	1,182
Other current liabilities	87,741	107,867
Liabilities held for sale		0
Total current liabilities	271,620	311,453
Long-term debt	33,592	34,338
Affiliate long-term debt	12,216	12,802
Other liabilities	1,019,773	1,003,213
Total liabilities	1,337,201	1,361,806
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity	3,477,371	3,586,272
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Total liabilities and equity	4,814,572	4,948,078
Reportable legal entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	14,111	12,539	12,069	13,536
Accounts and other receivables	29,418	25,111
Other current assets	22,866	12,721
Assets held for sale		6,504
Total current assets	66,395	56,875
Property and equipment, net	172,701	168,762
Assets held for sale	0	6,974
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Goodwill	4,275	1,299
Broadcast licenses	16,960	16,960
Definite-lived intangible assets	197,479	184,441
Other long-term assets	151,204	121,273
Total assets	609,014	556,584
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	26,381	24,325
Current portion of long-term debt	10,734	68,332
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	1,409	1,026
Other current liabilities	8,362	9,749
Liabilities held for sale		2,477
Total current liabilities	46,886	105,909
Long-term debt	150,716	82,198
Affiliate long-term debt	358,791	319,901
Other liabilities	170,322	169,935
Total liabilities	726,715	677,943
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity	(90,747)	(94,632)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(26,954)	(26,727)
Total liabilities and equity	609,014	556,584
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts and other receivables	(1,237)	(1,258)
Other current assets	(9,212)	(11,733)
Assets held for sale		0
Total current assets	(10,449)	(12,991)
Property and equipment, net	(7,935)	(7,099)
Assets held for sale	0	0
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(3,918,686)	(3,984,240)
Goodwill	0	0
Broadcast licenses	0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets	(63,809)	(65,097)
Other long-term assets	(744,407)	(670,832)
Total assets	(4,745,286)	(4,740,259)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(14,070)	(13,680)
Current portion of long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	(1,220)	(1,047)
Other current liabilities	(1,485)	(1,407)
Liabilities held for sale		0
Total current liabilities	(16,775)	(16,134)
Long-term debt	0	0
Affiliate long-term debt	(356,932)	(319,902)
Other liabilities	(534,990)	(497,927)
Total liabilities	(908,697)	(833,963)
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity	(3,840,743)	(3,910,484)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	4,154	4,188
Total liabilities and equity	$ (4,745,286)	$ (4,740,259)