CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS - Balance Sheets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2016
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		$ 1,060,330	$ 681,326
Restricted cash, current		0	313,110
Accounts and other receivables		598,597	566,464
Other current assets		124,979	153,847
Total current assets		1,783,906	1,714,747
Property and equipment, net		683,134	738,298
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0
Other long-term assets		196,048	246,351
Goodwill		2,123,902	2,124,033	$ 1,990,746
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		158,222	159,371	$ 156,306
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		1,626,880	1,801,670
Total assets	[1]	6,572,092	6,784,470
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		413,227	370,403
Current portion of long-term debt		42,564	161,049
Other current liabilities		116,794	194,897
Total current liabilities		572,585	726,349
Long-term debt		3,849,891	3,887,601
Other liabilities		549,296	636,154
Total liabilities	[1]	4,971,772	5,250,104
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity		1,638,836	1,568,738
Noncontrolling interests		(38,516)	(34,372)
Total liabilities and equity		6,572,092	6,784,470
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0
Restricted cash, current			0
Accounts and other receivables		0	0
Other current assets		3,235	3,034
Total current assets		3,235	3,034
Property and equipment, net		754	829
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		1,604,234	1,537,337
Other long-term assets		31,002	31,757
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Total assets		1,639,225	1,572,957
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		100	1,100
Current portion of long-term debt		0	0
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		100	1,100
Long-term debt		0	0
Other liabilities		289	3,119
Total liabilities		389	4,219
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity		1,638,836	1,568,738
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		1,639,225	1,572,957
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		961,963	645,830
Restricted cash, current			0
Accounts and other receivables		0	0
Other current assets		5,548	5,758
Total current assets		967,511	651,588
Property and equipment, net		31,773	31,111
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		3,654,263	4,116,241
Other long-term assets		851,170	770,312
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		0	0
Total assets		5,504,717	5,569,252
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		78,814	84,326
Current portion of long-term debt		31,135	148,505
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		109,949	232,831
Long-term debt		3,775,489	3,799,987
Other liabilities		40,132	38,282
Total liabilities		3,925,570	4,071,100
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity		1,579,147	1,498,152
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		5,504,717	5,569,252
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		19,648	12,273
Restricted cash, current			311,110
Accounts and other receivables		530,543	530,273
Other current assets		103,111	145,637
Total current assets		653,302	999,293
Property and equipment, net		593,755	586,950
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		4,179	4,179
Other long-term assets		119,187	104,363
Goodwill		2,120,035	2,120,166
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		143,924	145,073
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		1,608,748	1,781,045
Total assets		5,243,130	5,741,069
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		273,444	261,266
Current portion of long-term debt		4,100	3,445
Other current liabilities		107,051	180,616
Total current liabilities		384,595	445,327
Long-term debt		36,551	39,730
Other liabilities		1,169,184	1,141,266
Total liabilities		1,590,330	1,626,323
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity		3,652,800	4,114,746
Noncontrolling interests		0	0
Total liabilities and equity		5,243,130	5,741,069
Reportable legal entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		78,719	23,223
Restricted cash, current			2,000
Accounts and other receivables		68,054	36,191
Other current assets		37,157	9,687
Total current assets		183,930	71,101
Property and equipment, net		70,223	132,010
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		0	0
Other long-term assets		165,064	208,367
Goodwill		3,867	3,867
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		14,298	14,298
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		70,409	77,944
Total assets		507,791	507,587
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		85,875	36,029
Current portion of long-term debt		7,842	9,645
Other current liabilities		9,743	14,281
Total current liabilities		103,460	59,955
Long-term debt		381,913	381,127
Other liabilities		173,197	187,569
Total liabilities		658,570	628,651
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity		(107,825)	(82,051)
Noncontrolling interests		(42,954)	(39,013)
Total liabilities and equity		507,791	507,587
Eliminations
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Cash and cash equivalents		0	0
Restricted cash, current			0
Accounts and other receivables		0	0
Other current assets		(24,072)	(10,269)
Total current assets		(24,072)	(10,269)
Property and equipment, net		(13,371)	(12,602)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries		(5,262,676)	(5,657,757)
Other long-term assets		(970,375)	(868,448)
Goodwill		0	0
Indefinite-lived intangible assets		0	0
Definite-lived intangible assets, net		(52,277)	(57,319)
Total assets		(6,322,771)	(6,606,395)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities		(25,006)	(12,318)
Current portion of long-term debt		(513)	(546)
Other current liabilities		0	0
Total current liabilities		(25,519)	(12,864)
Long-term debt		(344,062)	(333,243)
Other liabilities		(833,506)	(734,082)
Total liabilities		(1,203,087)	(1,080,189)
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders’ equity		(5,124,122)	(5,530,847)
Noncontrolling interests		4,438	4,641
Total liabilities and equity		$ (6,322,771)	$ (6,606,395)

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $127.6 million and $130.6 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs.  Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $22.3 million and $27.0 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us.  See Note 12. Variable Interest Entities.