SEGMENT DATA - Segment Financial Information (Details) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) market	Sep. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2016 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($) market	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Number of markets | market		81								81
Intercompany loans		$ 233,300				$ 226,200				$ 233,300	$ 226,200
Intercompany interest expense										24,400	23,100	$ 20,700
Segment data
Revenue		797,691	$ 693,835	$ 666,534	$ 578,889	611,790	$ 548,404	$ 554,167	$ 504,775	2,736,949	2,219,136	1,976,558
Depreciation of property and equipment										98,529	103,433	103,291
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										183,795	161,454	125,496
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										127,880	124,619	106,629
General and administrative overhead expenses										73,556	64,246	62,495
Research and development										4,085	12,436	6,918
Operating income		233,446	$ 153,994	$ 129,074	$ 86,339	124,243	$ 99,606	$ 114,340	$ 84,547	602,853	422,736	494,651
Interest expense										211,143	191,447	174,862
Income from equity and cost method investments										1,735	964	2,313
Goodwill		1,990,746				1,931,093				1,990,746	1,931,093	1,964,553
Assets	[1]	5,963,168				5,432,315				5,963,168	5,432,315
Capital expenditures										94,465	91,421	81,458
Broadcast
Segment data
Goodwill		1,933,831				1,927,605				1,933,831	1,927,605	1,964,040
Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Goodwill		56,915				3,488				56,915	3,488	513
Operating segments | Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue										2,530,510	2,118,021	1,904,776
Depreciation of property and equipment										91,573	99,616	99,823
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										155,479	152,049	118,654
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										127,880	124,619	106,629
General and administrative overhead expenses										67,035	55,848	55,837
Research and development										0	0	0
Operating income										639,422	451,015	511,783
Interest expense										5,641	0	0
Income from equity and cost method investments										0	0	0
Goodwill		1,933,831				1,927,705				1,933,831	1,927,705
Assets		4,815,633				4,838,531				4,815,633	4,838,531
Capital expenditures										78,909	74,902
Operating segments | Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Revenue										206,439	101,115	71,782
Depreciation of property and equipment										5,772	2,753	2,350
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										28,316	9,405	6,842
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										0	0	0
General and administrative overhead expenses										2,459	2,952	1,315
Research and development										4,085	12,436	6,918
Operating income										(31,258)	(21,800)	(10,671)
Interest expense										6,371	4,955	4,042
Income from equity and cost method investments										1,735	964	2,313
Goodwill		56,915				3,388				56,915	3,388
Assets		866,845				415,278				866,845	415,278
Capital expenditures										8,084	8,909
Corporate
Segment data
Revenue										0	0	0
Depreciation of property and equipment										1,184	1,064	1,118
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets										0	0	0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments										0	0	0
General and administrative overhead expenses										4,062	5,446	5,343
Research and development										0	0	0
Operating income										(5,311)	(6,479)	(6,461)
Interest expense										199,131	186,492	170,820
Income from equity and cost method investments										0	0	$ 0
Goodwill		0				0				0	0
Assets		$ 280,690				$ 178,506				280,690	178,506
Capital expenditures										$ 7,472	$ 7,610

[1] (a) Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $142.3 million and $152.4 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2016 and 2015 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $40.9 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.