CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Jun. 30, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Jun. 30, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		$ 103,727	$ 149,972	$ 64,579	$ 17,682
Accounts receivable		489,884	424,608
Other current assets		84,408	127,183
Total current assets		678,019	701,763
Property and equipment, net		727,806	717,137
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Goodwill		2,017,382	1,931,093
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		157,725	132,465
Definite-lived intangible assets		1,975,786	1,751,570
Other long-term assets		222,959	198,287
Total assets	[1]	5,779,677	5,432,315
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		271,926	251,313
Current portion of long-term debt		175,044	164,184
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		3,501	3,166
Other current liabilities		81,269	116,340
Total current liabilities		531,740	535,003
Long-term debt		3,984,262	3,669,160
Affiliate long-term debt		15,953	17,850
Other liabilities		704,828	710,624
Total liabilities	[1]	5,236,783	4,932,637
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		570,512	525,810
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		(27,618)	(26,132)
Total liabilities and equity		5,779,677	5,432,315
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable		0	0
Other current assets		219	3,648
Total current assets		219	3,648
Property and equipment, net		2,352	2,884
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		543,948	497,262
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Other long-term assets		50,901	52,128
Total assets		597,420	555,922
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		100	104
Current portion of long-term debt		0	0
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		1,752	1,651
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		1,852	1,755
Long-term debt		0	0
Affiliate long-term debt		948	1,857
Other liabilities		24,108	26,500
Total liabilities		26,908	30,112
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		570,512	525,810
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		597,420	555,922
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		72,237	115,771	49,400	3,394
Accounts receivable		0	1,775
Other current assets		6,292	5,172
Total current assets		78,529	122,718
Property and equipment, net		19,376	20,336
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		3,772,032	3,430,434
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Other long-term assets		742,864	673,915
Total assets		4,612,801	4,247,403
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		50,101	49,428
Current portion of long-term debt		59,938	57,640
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		0	0
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		110,039	107,068
Long-term debt		3,912,120	3,594,218
Affiliate long-term debt		0	0
Other liabilities		30,953	28,866
Total liabilities		4,053,112	3,730,152
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		559,689	517,251
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		4,612,801	4,247,403
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		6,799	235	1,068	1,749
Accounts receivable		456,880	390,142
Other current assets		62,550	99,118
Total current assets		526,229	489,495
Property and equipment, net		572,156	559,042
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		4,179	4,179
Goodwill		2,013,103	1,926,814
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		142,016	114,841
Definite-lived intangible assets		1,812,739	1,602,454
Other long-term assets		104,553	110,507
Total assets		5,174,975	4,807,332
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		196,045	179,156
Current portion of long-term debt		1,751	1,611
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		1,532	1,311
Other current liabilities		72,960	103,627
Total current liabilities		272,288	285,705
Long-term debt		31,977	32,743
Affiliate long-term debt		13,364	14,240
Other liabilities		1,101,937	1,060,211
Total liabilities		1,419,566	1,392,899
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		3,755,409	3,414,433
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		5,174,975	4,807,332
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		24,691	33,966	14,111	12,539
Accounts receivable		34,251	33,949
Other current assets		18,106	23,278
Total current assets		77,048	91,193
Property and equipment, net		142,792	143,667
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Goodwill		4,279	4,279
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		15,709	17,624
Definite-lived intangible assets		224,729	206,975
Other long-term assets		150,306	140,910
Total assets		614,863	604,648
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		29,053	27,462
Current portion of long-term debt		113,355	106,358
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		2,137	456
Other current liabilities		8,309	12,713
Total current liabilities		152,854	146,989
Long-term debt		40,165	42,199
Affiliate long-term debt		378,060	366,042
Other liabilities		174,008	171,102
Total liabilities		745,087	726,332
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		(98,249)	(91,703)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		(31,975)	(29,981)
Total liabilities and equity		614,863	604,648
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable		(1,247)	(1,258)
Other current assets		(2,759)	(4,033)
Total current assets		(4,006)	(5,291)
Property and equipment, net		(8,870)	(8,792)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		(4,320,159)	(3,931,875)
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets		(61,682)	(57,859)
Other long-term assets		(825,665)	(779,173)
Total assets		(5,220,382)	(4,782,990)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(3,373)	(4,837)
Current portion of long-term debt		0	(1,425)
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		(1,920)	(252)
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		(5,293)	(6,514)
Long-term debt		0	0
Affiliate long-term debt		(376,419)	(364,289)
Other liabilities		(626,178)	(576,055)
Total liabilities		(1,007,890)	(946,858)
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		(4,216,849)	(3,839,981)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		4,357	3,849
Total liabilities and equity		$ (5,220,382)	$ (4,782,990)

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $147.5 million and $152.4 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of June 30, 2016 and December 31, 2015 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $30.4 million and $35.6 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us. See Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.