NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES - Schedule of Variable Interest Entities Assets and Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017
Current assets:
Accounts receivable		$ 538,472	$ 566,464
Other current assets		68,784	54,310
Total current assets		1,714,691	1,714,747
Assets held for sale		152,880	0
Program contract costs, less current portion		2,178	3,202
Property and equipment, net		654,432	738,298
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		1,729,563	1,801,670
Other assets		229,563	241,645
Total assets	[1]	6,663,411	6,784,470
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities		79,945	194,897
Long-term liabilities:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		3,875,025	3,887,601
Program contracts payable, less current portion		37,170	41,909
Other long-term liabilities		77,063	79,009
Total liabilities	[1]	5,091,868	5,250,104
Consolidated VIEs, aggregated
Current assets:
Accounts receivable		18,764	19,566
Other current assets		5,672	8,937
Total current assets		24,436	28,503
Assets held for sale		546	0
Program contract costs, less current portion		469	822
Property and equipment, net		4,242	6,215
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets		15,039	15,064
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		72,186	74,442
Other assets		5,601	5,601
Total assets		122,519	130,647
Current liabilities:
Other current liabilities		20,164	23,564
Long-term liabilities:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion		21,380	23,217
Program contracts payable, less current portion		10,519	11,213
Other long-term liabilities		650	650
Total liabilities		$ 52,713	$ 58,644

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $122.5 million and $130.6 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total liabilities of VIEs of $23.0 million and $27.0 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.