CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2018		Mar. 31, 2017
REVENUES:
Media revenues	$ 643,651	[1]	$ 607,057
Non-media revenues	21,701		19,879
Total revenues	665,352		626,936
OPERATING EXPENSES:
Media production expenses	288,549		258,401
Media selling, general and administrative expenses	146,899		124,721
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments	26,950		31,019
Non-media expenses	21,223		18,402
Depreciation of property and equipment	27,325		23,981
Corporate general and administrative expenses	24,596		20,576
Amortization of definite-lived intangible and other assets	43,605		45,554
Gain on asset dispositions, net of impairment	21,109		53,347
Total operating expenses	558,038		469,307
Operating income	107,314		157,629
OTHER INCOME (EXPENSE):
Interest expense and amortization of debt discount and deferred financing costs	(69,742)		(57,318)
Loss from extinguishment of debt	0		(1,404)
Loss from equity and cost method investments	(12,477)		(1,321)
Other income, net	3,271		1,696
Total other expense, net	(78,948)		(58,347)
Income before income taxes	28,366		99,282
INCOME TAX BENEFIT (PROVISION)	15,628		(28,579)
NET INCOME	43,994		70,703
Net income attributable to the noncontrolling interests	(871)		(13,501)
NET INCOME ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP	$ 43,123		$ 57,202
Dividends declared per share (USD per share)	$ 0.18		$ 0.18
EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE ATTRIBUTABLE TO SINCLAIR BROADCAST GROUP:
Basic earnings per share (USD per share)	0.42		0.62
Diluted earnings per share (USD per share)	$ 0.42		$ 0.61
Weighted average common shares outstanding (shares)	101,899		92,630
Weighted average common and common equivalent shares outstanding (shares)	102,917		93,692

[1] See Revenue Recognition within Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for a discussion of the adoption of the new accounting principles for revenue recognition.