SEGMENT DATA (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Mar. 31, 2018	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment data
Revenue			$ 665,352	$ 626,936
Depreciation of property and equipment			27,325	23,981
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			43,605	45,554
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments			26,950	31,019
General and administrative overhead expenses			24,596	20,576
Gain on asset dispositions, net of impairment			(21,109)	(53,347)
Operating income (loss)			107,314	157,629
Interest expense			69,742	57,318
Loss from equity and cost method investments			(12,477)	(1,321)
Assets	[1]		6,663,411		$ 6,784,470
Asset impairment charges			63,000
Gain (loss) on sale of assets and asset impairment charges			83,300
Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue			595,892	569,869
Other
Segment data
Revenue			69,460	57,067
Operating segments | Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue			595,892	569,869
Depreciation of property and equipment			25,399	21,946
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			38,471	38,326
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments			26,950	31,019
General and administrative overhead expenses			21,744	18,992
Gain on asset dispositions, net of impairment			(84,100)	(357)
Operating income (loss)			176,166	114,544
Interest expense			1,372	1,366
Loss from equity and cost method investments			0	0
Assets			5,096,281
Operating segments | Other
Segment data
Revenue			69,460	57,067
Depreciation of property and equipment			1,906	1,769
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			5,134	7,228
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments			0	0
General and administrative overhead expenses			255	288
Gain on asset dispositions, net of impairment			62,991	(52,990)
Operating income (loss)			(66,235)	44,649
Interest expense			202	1,213
Loss from equity and cost method investments			(12,477)	(1,321)
Assets			685,140
Asset impairment charges			63,000
Corporate
Segment data
Revenue			0	0
Depreciation of property and equipment			20	266
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets			0	0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments			0	0
General and administrative overhead expenses			2,597	1,296
Gain on asset dispositions, net of impairment			0	0
Operating income (loss)			(2,617)	(1,564)
Interest expense			68,168	54,739
Loss from equity and cost method investments			0	$ 0
Assets			$ 881,990
Alarm Funding Associates | Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Segment data
Gain on sale of consolidated non-media business		$ 53,000
Gain on sale attributable to non-controlling interest		$ 12,300

[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.