SEGMENT DATA - Segment Financial Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		1 Months Ended	3 Months Ended								12 Months Ended
		Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Sep. 30, 2017	Jun. 30, 2017	Mar. 31, 2017	Dec. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017		Dec. 31, 2016
Segment data
Revenue			$ 893,325	$ 766,261	$ 730,143	$ 665,352	$ 712,512	$ 644,532	$ 652,235	$ 626,936	$ 3,055,081	$ 2,636,215		$ 2,622,510
Depreciation of property and equipment											105,240	97,103	[1]	98,529	[1]
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets											174,848	178,822	[1]	183,795	[1]
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											100,899	115,523		127,880
General and administrative overhead expenses											111,070	113,253		73,556
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(40,063)	(278,872)		(6,029)
Operating income			262,954	$ 157,810	$ 131,583	$ 107,314	357,581	$ 103,447	$ 118,849	$ 157,629	659,661	737,506		602,853
Interest expense											291,976	212,315		211,143
(Loss) income from equity method investments											(60,831)	(14,307)		906
Goodwill			2,123,902				2,124,033				2,123,902	2,124,033		1,990,746
Assets	[2]		6,572,092				6,784,470				6,572,092	6,784,470
Capital expenditures											105,061	83,812	[1]	94,465	[1]
Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue											2,714,663	2,393,641		2,416,985
Goodwill			2,054,779				2,053,410				2,054,779	2,053,410		1,933,831
Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Revenue											340,418	242,574		205,525
Goodwill			69,123				70,623				69,123	70,623		56,915
Operating segments | Broadcast
Segment data
Revenue											2,714,663	2,393,641		2,416,985
Depreciation of property and equipment											97,703	88,751		91,573
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets											153,720	155,640		155,479
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											100,899	115,523		127,880
General and administrative overhead expenses											100,241	101,680		67,035
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(99,977)	(225,770)		(4,647)
Operating income											751,341	724,110		639,422
Interest expense											5,734	5,285		5,641
(Loss) income from equity method investments											0	0		0
Goodwill			2,054,779				2,053,410				2,054,779	2,053,410
Assets			4,797,420				5,267,986				4,797,420	5,267,986
Capital expenditures											94,812	63,163
Operating segments | Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Revenue											340,418	242,574		205,525
Depreciation of property and equipment											7,461	7,368		5,772
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets											21,128	23,182		28,316
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											0	0		0
General and administrative overhead expenses											913	1,009		2,459
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											60,032	(53,102)		(1,427)
Operating income											(81,805)	24,943		(31,258)
Interest expense											803	1,835		6,371
(Loss) income from equity method investments											(60,831)	(14,307)		906
Goodwill			69,123				70,623				69,123	70,623
Assets			720,704				769,919				720,704	769,919
Capital expenditures											5,155	5,546
Corporate
Segment data
Revenue											0	0		0
Depreciation of property and equipment											76	984		1,184
Amortization of definite-lived intangible assets and other assets											0	0		0
Amortization of program contract costs and net realizable value adjustments											0	0		0
General and administrative overhead expenses											9,916	10,564		4,062
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(118)	0		45
Operating income											(9,875)	(11,547)		(5,311)
Interest expense											285,439	205,195		199,131
(Loss) income from equity method investments											0	0		$ 0
Goodwill			0				0				0	0
Assets			$ 1,053,968				$ 746,565				1,053,968	746,565
Capital expenditures											5,094	15,103
Spectrum Auction
Segment data
Gain on asset dispositions and other, net of impairment											(83,300)	(225,300)
Disposal Group, Disposed of by Sale, Not Discontinued Operations | Alarm Funding Associates
Segment data
Gain recognized on sale of broadcast assets		$ 53,000										53,000
Gain (loss) on disposal, attributable to non-controlling interest		$ 12,300										$ 12,300
Consolidated Real Estate Development Project
Segment data
Asset impairment charges											59,600
Consolidated Real Estate Development Project | Operating segments | Other operating divisions segment
Segment data
Asset impairment charges											$ 59,600

[1] See Recent Accounting Pronouncements within Note 1. Nature of Operations and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies for a discussion of the adoption of new accounting principles related to the classification of certain cash receipts and cash payments.

[2] 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.