CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2016	Jun. 30, 2015
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS FROM(USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 209,658	$ 180,247
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(49,786)	(47,062)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(423,104)	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(21,616)	(16,673)
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(21,843)	(37,809)
Loans to affiliates	(19,500)	0
Other, net	7,399	11,651
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(528,450)	(89,893)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	607,555	364,853
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(279,575)	(360,480)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(32,781)	(31,464)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(11,247)	(7,803)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables		0
Other, net	(11,405)	(8,563)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	272,547	(43,457)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(46,245)	46,897
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	149,972	17,682
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	103,727	64,579
Reportable legal entities \| Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS FROM(USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	2,296	(142)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	0	0
Loans to affiliates	0
Other, net	1,197	3,486
Net cash flows used in investing activities	1,197	3,486
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	0	(312)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(32,781)	(31,464)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	42,586
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(11,247)	(7,803)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables		37,036
Other, net	(2,051)	(801)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(3,493)	(3,344)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	0	0
Reportable legal entities \| Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS FROM(USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(81,821)	(70,337)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(1,871)	(5,852)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(10,827)	(4,401)
Loans to affiliates	(19,500)
Other, net	3,725	(961)
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(28,473)	(11,214)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	595,000	349,562
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(272,672)	(357,328)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(249,887)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables		138,814
Other, net	(5,681)	(3,491)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	66,760	127,557
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(43,534)	46,006
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	115,771	3,394
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	72,237	49,400
Reportable legal entities \| Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS FROM(USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	282,530	265,762
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(45,155)	(40,875)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(412,729)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	0	(33)
Loans to affiliates	0
Other, net	58	4,788
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(457,826)	(36,120)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(719)	(611)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	181,829
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables		(230,262)
Other, net	750	550
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	181,860	(230,323)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	6,564	(681)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	235	1,749
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	6,799	1,068
Reportable legal entities \| Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS FROM(USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(8,483)	(22,433)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(3,206)	(1,097)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(10,375)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(21,616)	(16,673)
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(11,016)	(33,375)
Loans to affiliates	0
Other, net	2,419	4,338
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(43,794)	(46,807)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	12,555	15,291
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(6,184)	(2,229)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	41,172
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables		62,571
Other, net	(4,541)	(4,821)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	43,002	70,812
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(9,275)	1,572
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	33,966	12,539
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	24,691	14,111
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS FROM(USED IN) OPERATING ACTIVITIES	15,136	7,397
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	446	762
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	0	0
Loans to affiliates	0
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows used in investing activities	446	762
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	0	0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(15,700)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables		(8,159)
Other, net	118	0
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(15,582)	(8,159)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	$ 0	$ 0

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The net cash outflow or inflow from other investing activities.

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This element represents the cash paid for securing alarm monitoring contracts.

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Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Excludes cash and cash equivalents within disposal group and discontinued operation.

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Amount of increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents. Cash and cash equivalents are the amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates. Includes effect from exchange rate changes.

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Line items represent financial concepts included in a table. These concepts are used to disclose reportable information associated with domain members defined in one or many axes to the table.

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Amount of cash inflow (outflow) from financing activities, including discontinued operations. Financing activity cash flows include obtaining resources from owners and providing them with a return on, and a return of, their investment; borrowing money and repaying amounts borrowed, or settling the obligation; and obtaining and paying for other resources obtained from creditors on long-term credit.

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Amount of cash inflow (outflow) from investing activities, including discontinued operations. Investing activity cash flows include making and collecting loans and acquiring and disposing of debt or equity instruments and property, plant, and equipment and other productive assets.

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The cash outflow to reacquire common stock during the period.

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The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of a business, net of the cash acquired from the purchase.

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The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of or advances to an entity that is related to it but not strictly controlled (for example, an unconsolidated subsidiary, affiliate, and joint venture or equity method investment) or the acquisition of an additional interest in a subsidiary (controlled entity).

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The cash outflow associated with the acquisition of long-lived, physical assets that are used in the normal conduct of business to produce goods and services and not intended for resale; includes cash outflows to pay for construction of self-constructed assets.

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The cash outflow associated with extending a long-term loan to a related party. Alternate caption: Payments for Advances to Affiliates.

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The cash outflow associated with security instruments that either represent a creditor or an ownership relationship with the holder of the investment security with a maturity of beyond one year or normal operating cycle, if longer. Includes repayments of (a) debt, (b) capital lease obligations, (c) mandatory redeemable capital securities, and (d) any combination of (a), (b), or (c).

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