SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 119,389	$ 17,682	$ 99,350	$ 280,104
Accounts receivable		387,110	383,503
Current portion of program contract costs		120,598	88,198
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		35,951	27,842
Total current assets		672,249	526,165
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion		23,533	38,531
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		746,662	752,538
GOODWILL		1,951,428	1,964,553
BROADCAST LICENSES		133,174	135,075
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net		1,763,693	1,818,263
OTHER ASSETS		189,708	175,203
Total assets	[1]	5,480,447	5,410,328
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable		6,683	12,248
Accrued liabilities		265,787	248,600
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing		67,222	113,116
Current portion of program contracts payable		130,337	104,922
Total current liabilities		491,920	494,006
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		3,804,877	3,754,822
Program contracts payable, less current portion		60,313	60,605
Total liabilities		5,029,186	5,004,985
Consolidated VIEs, aggregated
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents		490	491
Accounts receivable		19,952	19,521
Current portion of program contract costs		16,776	9,544
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		395	297
Total current assets		37,613	29,853
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion		5,544	6,922
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net		8,238	9,716
GOODWILL		787	787
BROADCAST LICENSES		16,935	16,935
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net		86,274	96,732
OTHER ASSETS		6,924	2,376
Total assets		162,315	163,321
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable		26	68
Accrued liabilities		1,277	1,297
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing		3,680	3,659
Current portion of program contracts payable		15,904	9,714
Total current liabilities		20,887	14,738
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		25,458	28,640
Program contracts payable, less current portion		12,757	10,161
Long term liabilities		9,652	8,739
Total liabilities		$ 68,754	$ 62,278

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $162.3 million and $163.3 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2015 and December 31, 2014 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $39.6 million and $30.0 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.