SEGMENT DATA (Schedule of Segment Information) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
		Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Dec. 31, 2017
Segment data
Revenue		$ 766,260	$ 644,532	$ 2,161,756	$ 1,923,702
Depreciation of property and equipment		25,035	24,442	75,477	72,026
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets		44,600	43,368	131,322	132,299
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments		24,482	28,047	76,142	87,962
Corporate general and administrative expenses		34,322	25,831	88,603	71,458
Gain (loss) on sale of assets and asset impairment charges		10,828	34	36,678	53,531
Operating income (loss)		157,810	103,447	396,707	379,924
Interest expense		75,753	51,743	237,766	160,020
Loss from equity investments		25,379	4,362	55,339	4,221
Assets	[1]	6,627,414		6,627,414		$ 6,784,470
Asset impairment charges				59,600
Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue		678,671	584,941	1,916,844	1,745,777
Other
Segment data
Revenue		87,589	59,591	244,912	177,925
Operating segments | Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue		678,671	584,941	1,916,844	1,745,777
Depreciation of property and equipment		23,134	22,344	69,711	65,850
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets		39,267	38,186	115,524	114,810
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments		24,482	28,047	76,142	87,962
Corporate general and administrative expenses		31,537	23,582	79,870	65,059
Gain (loss) on sale of assets and asset impairment charges		10,828	22	96,229	402
Operating income (loss)		169,773	115,571	486,546	361,259
Interest expense		1,523	1,281	4,331	3,976
Loss from equity investments		0	0	0	0
Assets		4,854,780		4,854,780
Operating segments | Other
Segment data
Revenue		87,589	59,591	244,912	177,925
Depreciation of property and equipment		1,882	1,851	5,709	5,438
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets		5,333	5,182	15,798	17,489
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments		0	0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses		132	224	609	785
Gain (loss) on sale of assets and asset impairment charges		0	12	(59,629)	53,129
Operating income (loss)		(9,291)	(9,852)	(81,735)	25,016
Interest expense		200	204	600	1,633
Loss from equity investments		24,893	4,362	54,876	4,221
Assets		730,888		730,888
Asset impairment charges				59,600
Corporate
Segment data
Revenue		0	0	0	0
Depreciation of property and equipment		19	247	57	738
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets		0	0	0	0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments		0	0	0	0
Corporate general and administrative expenses		2,653	2,025	8,124	5,614
Gain (loss) on sale of assets and asset impairment charges		0	0	78	0
Operating income (loss)		(2,672)	(2,272)	(8,104)	(6,351)
Interest expense		74,030	50,258	232,835	154,411
Loss from equity investments		486	$ 0	463	0
Assets		$ 1,041,746		1,041,746
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
Spectrum Auction
Segment data
Gain (loss) on sale of assets and asset impairment charges				$ 83,300

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $121.1 million and $130.6 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs.  Our consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2018 and December 31, 2017 include total liabilities of VIEs of $22.9 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.