CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Statement of Cash Flows (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	$ 591,766	$ 402,927	$ 432,599
CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(94,465)	(91,421)	(81,458)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(425,857)	(17,011)	(1,485,039)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(40,206)	(39,185)	(27,701)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	16,396	23,650	176,675
Decrease in restricted cash	(3,725)	3,725	(11,616)
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(51,247)	(44,715)	(8,104)
Proceeds from insurance settlement			17,042
Other, net	(10,624)	17,371	(387)
Net cash flow used in investing activities	(606,003)	(151,311)	(1,397,356)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	1,024,912	382,887	1,500,720
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(671,215)	(395,147)	(582,764)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(65,909)	(62,733)	(61,103)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(136,283)	(28,823)	(133,157)
Payments for deferred financing costs	(15,681)	(3,847)	(16,590)
Noncontrolling interests distributions	(10,464)	(9,918)	(8,184)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	0	0	0
Other, net	(1,111)	(1,745)	3,413
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	124,249	(119,326)	702,335
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	110,012	132,290	(262,422)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	149,972	17,682	280,104
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	259,984	149,972	17,682
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	(11,784)	(3,759)	(26,528)
CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	0	0	0
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Decrease in restricted cash			0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(2,945)	0	0
Proceeds from insurance settlement			0
Other, net	1,714	4,598	1,000
Net cash flow used in investing activities	(1,231)	4,598	1,000
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	0	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	0	(528)	(556)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	(65,909)	(62,733)	(61,103)
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	(136,283)	(28,823)	(133,157)
Payments for deferred financing costs	0	0	0
Noncontrolling interests distributions	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	218,054	89,319	218,081
Other, net	(2,847)	1,926	2,263
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	13,015	(839)	25,528
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	0	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	(150,230)	(131,363)	(145,795)
CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(8,006)	(6,605)	(8,864)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Decrease in restricted cash			(11,525)
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(15,620)	(8,998)	0
Proceeds from insurance settlement			17,042
Other, net	(21,395)	(5,447)	0
Net cash flow used in investing activities	(45,021)	(21,050)	19,703
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	995,000	349,562	1,466,500
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(650,422)	(382,691)	(574,584)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Payments for deferred financing costs	(15,430)	(3,604)	(16,590)
Noncontrolling interests distributions	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(17,778)	303,755	(981,669)
Other, net	407	(2,232)	(2,145)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	311,777	264,790	(108,488)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	116,526	112,377	(234,580)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	115,771	3,394
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	232,297	115,771	3,394
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	721,991	530,768	628,103
CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(82,450)	(84,079)	(71,152)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(415,482)	(17,011)	(1,485,039)
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	7,263	23,650	176,675
Decrease in restricted cash			(91)
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(27)	(27)	0
Proceeds from insurance settlement			0
Other, net	3,985	575	392
Net cash flow used in investing activities	(486,711)	(76,892)	(1,379,033)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	0	0	507
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(1,633)	(1,286)	(1,028)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Payments for deferred financing costs	0	0	0
Noncontrolling interests distributions	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(224,551)	(452,897)	725,678
Other, net	1,344	(1,207)	(1,072)
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(224,840)	(455,390)	724,085
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	10,440	(1,514)	(26,845)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	235	1,749
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	10,675	235	1,749
Reportable legal entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	7,914	(16,864)	(35,694)
CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	(5,009)	(2,586)	(2,722)
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	(10,375)	0	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	(40,206)	(39,185)	(27,701)
Proceeds from the sale of assets	9,133	0	0
Decrease in restricted cash			0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	(32,655)	(35,690)	(8,104)
Proceeds from insurance settlement			0
Other, net	5,072	17,645	(1,779)
Net cash flow used in investing activities	(74,040)	(59,816)	(40,306)
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	29,912	33,325	33,713
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	(19,160)	(10,642)	(6,596)
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Payments for deferred financing costs	(251)	(243)	0
Noncontrolling interests distributions	(10,464)	(9,918)	(8,184)
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	49,403	85,953	51,703
Other, net	(268)	(368)	4,367
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	49,172	98,107	75,003
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	(16,954)	21,427	(997)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	33,966	12,539
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	17,012	33,966	12,539
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
NET CASH FLOWS (USED IN) FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES	23,875	24,145	12,513
CASH FLOWS USED IN INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Acquisition of property and equipment	1,000	1,849	1,280
Acquisition of businesses, net of cash acquired	0	0	0
Purchase of alarm monitoring contracts	0	0	0
Proceeds from the sale of assets	0	0	0
Decrease in restricted cash			0
Investments in equity and cost method investees	0	0	0
Proceeds from insurance settlement			0
Other, net	0	0	0
Net cash flow used in investing activities	1,000	1,849	1,280
CASH FLOWS FROM (USED IN) FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	0	0	0
Repayments of notes payable, commercial bank financing and capital leases	0	0	0
Dividends paid on Class A and Class B Common Stock	0	0	0
Repurchase of outstanding Class A Common Stock	0	0	0
Payments for deferred financing costs	0	0	0
Noncontrolling interests distributions	0	0	0
Increase (decrease) in intercompany payables	(25,128)	(26,130)	(13,793)
Other, net	253	136	0
Net cash flows from (used in) financing activities	(24,875)	(25,994)	(13,793)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0