CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Balance Sheet (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016	Mar. 31, 2016	Dec. 31, 2015
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		$ 815,700	$ 259,984	$ 141,524	$ 149,972
Accounts receivable		510,079	513,954
Other current assets		115,031	131,150
Total current assets		1,440,810	905,088
Property and equipment, net		712,467	717,576
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Goodwill		1,998,135	1,990,746
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		157,106	156,306
Definite-lived intangible assets		1,757,280	1,944,403
Other long-term assets		251,525	249,049
Total assets	[1]	6,317,323	5,963,168
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		245,987	322,505
Current portion of long-term debt		64,595	171,131
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		2,477	3,604
Other current liabilities		154,409	139,233
Total current liabilities		467,468	636,473
Long-term debt		4,002,553	4,014,932
Affiliate long-term debt		14,405	14,181
Other liabilities		735,998	739,646
Total liabilities	[1]	5,220,424	5,405,232
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		1,129,153	587,983
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		(32,254)	(30,047)
Total liabilities and equity		6,317,323	5,963,168
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		0	0	0	0
Accounts receivable		0	0
Other current assets		3,318	5,561
Total current assets		3,318	5,561
Property and equipment, net		1,554	1,820
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		1,096,840	551,250
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Other long-term assets		41,842	46,586
Total assets		1,143,554	605,217
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		99	100
Current portion of long-term debt		0	0
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		1,407	1,857
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		1,506	1,957
Long-term debt		0	0
Affiliate long-term debt		0	0
Other liabilities		12,896	15,277
Total liabilities		14,402	17,234
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		1,129,152	587,983
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		1,143,554	605,217
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		783,197	232,297	105,318	115,771
Accounts receivable		0	0
Other current assets		5,812	3,143
Total current assets		789,009	235,440
Property and equipment, net		21,293	17,925
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		3,572,811	3,614,605
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Other long-term assets		788,830	819,506
Total assets		5,171,943	4,687,476
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		59,521	69,118
Current portion of long-term debt		55,201	55,501
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		0	0
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		114,722	124,619
Long-term debt		3,929,497	3,939,463
Affiliate long-term debt		0	0
Other liabilities		34,210	31,817
Total liabilities		4,078,429	4,095,899
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		1,093,514	591,577
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		5,171,943	4,687,476
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		11,043	10,675	10,053	235
Accounts receivable		484,056	478,190
Other current assets		91,411	124,313
Total current assets		586,510	613,178
Property and equipment, net		564,364	570,289
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		4,179	4,179
Goodwill		1,994,268	1,986,467
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		141,397	140,597
Definite-lived intangible assets		1,733,711	1,770,512
Other long-term assets		107,921	103,808
Total assets		5,132,350	5,189,030
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		175,775	225,645
Current portion of long-term debt		2,062	1,851
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		828	1,514
Other current liabilities		144,357	127,967
Total current liabilities		323,022	356,977
Long-term debt		30,351	31,014
Affiliate long-term debt		12,951	12,663
Other liabilities		1,192,413	1,190,717
Total liabilities		1,558,737	1,591,371
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		3,573,613	3,597,659
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		5,132,350	5,189,030
Reportable legal entities | Non- Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		21,460	17,012	26,153	33,966
Accounts receivable		27,281	37,024
Other current assets		28,614	25,406
Total current assets		77,355	79,442
Property and equipment, net		128,518	131,326
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Goodwill		3,867	4,279
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		15,709	15,709
Definite-lived intangible assets		81,324	233,368
Other long-term assets		168,648	169,817
Total assets		475,421	633,941
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		25,518	48,815
Current portion of long-term debt		7,332	113,779
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		673	2,336
Other current liabilities		11,635	13,590
Total current liabilities		45,158	178,520
Long-term debt		42,705	44,455
Affiliate long-term debt		335,303	396,957
Other liabilities		190,441	183,418
Total liabilities		613,607	803,350
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		(101,554)	(134,991)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		(36,632)	(34,418)
Total liabilities and equity		475,421	633,941
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash		0	0	$ 0	$ 0
Accounts receivable		(1,258)	(1,260)
Other current assets		(14,124)	(27,273)
Total current assets		(15,382)	(28,533)
Property and equipment, net		(3,262)	(3,784)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		(4,673,830)	(4,170,034)
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets		(57,755)	(59,477)
Other long-term assets		(855,716)	(890,668)
Total assets		(5,605,945)	(5,152,496)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(14,926)	(21,173)
Current portion of long-term debt		0	0
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt		(431)	(2,103)
Other current liabilities		(1,583)	(2,324)
Total current liabilities		(16,940)	(25,600)
Long-term debt		0	0
Affiliate long-term debt		(333,849)	(395,439)
Other liabilities		(693,962)	(681,583)
Total liabilities		(1,044,751)	(1,102,622)
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group equity (deficit)		(4,565,572)	(4,054,245)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries		4,378	4,371
Total liabilities and equity		$ (5,605,945)	$ (5,152,496)

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $130.7 million and $142.3 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of March 31, 2017 and December 31, 2016 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $34.1 million and $40.9 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.