CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2016	Sep. 30, 2015
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 330,260	$ 313,721
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(68,601)	(72,476)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(425,856)	(15,514)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(29,143)	(31,340)
Proceeds from sale of assets	16,396	23,650
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(34,224)	(43,068)
Loans to affiliates	(19,500)	0
Other, net	3,401	11,215
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(557,527)	(127,533)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	1,011,312	379,481
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(653,987)	(375,104)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(49,667)	(47,104)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(101,164)	(28,823)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	0	0
Other, net	(24,654)	(12,931)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	181,840	(84,481)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(45,427)	101,707
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	149,972	17,682
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	104,545	119,389
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(4,060)	(6,476)
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(7)	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(2,945)	0
Loans to affiliates	0
Other, net	1,714	3,776
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(1,238)	3,776
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	(473)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(49,667)	(47,104)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(101,164)	(28,823)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	158,574	82,410
Other, net	(2,445)	(3,310)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	5,298	2,700
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 (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(152,724)	(66,929)
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(3,626)	(7,687)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	0	0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(10,840)	(7,486)
Loans to affiliates	(19,500)
Other, net	(1,828)	539
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(35,794)	(14,634)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	995,000	349,559
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(636,547)	(370,011)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(189,022)	200,108
Other, net	(15,013)	(3,491)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	154,418	176,165
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(34,100)	94,602
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	115,771	3,394
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	81,671	97,996
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	451,804	390,101
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(61,758)	(64,693)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(415,481)	(15,514)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	7,263	23,650
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(34)	(27)
Loans to affiliates	0
Other, net	(86)	530
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(470,096)	(56,054)
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	(1,171)	(937)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	22,603	(335,447)
Other, net	1,175	847
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	22,607	(335,537)
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	4,315	(1,490)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	235	1,749
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	4,550	259
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	17,138	(21,156)
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(3,842)	(1,603)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(10,375)	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(29,143)	(31,340)
Proceeds from sale of assets	9,133	0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(20,405)	(35,555)
Loans to affiliates	0
Other, net	3,601	6,370
Net cash flows used in investing activities	(51,031)	(62,128)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable and commercial bank financing	16,312	29,922
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(16,269)	(3,683)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	26,764	72,757
Other, net	(8,556)	(7,117)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	18,251	91,879
NET (DECREASE) INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(15,642)	8,595
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	33,966	12,539
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	18,324	21,134
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	18,102	18,181
CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	632	1,507
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0
Proceeds from sale of assets	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	632	1,507
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
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(18,919)	(19,828)
Other, net	185	140
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(18,734)	(19,688)
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