SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES: (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2012		Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Variable Interest Entities
Total revenue	$ 253,554,000		$ 188,860,000	$ 477,390,000		$ 371,469,000
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	31,078,000		51,292,000	31,078,000		51,292,000	12,967,000		21,974,000
Accounts receivable	159,842,000			159,842,000			132,915,000
Income taxes receivable							225,000
Current portion of program contract costs	23,171,000			23,171,000			38,906,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	8,444,000			8,444,000			17,274,000
Total current assets	230,368,000			230,368,000			209,717,000
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion	11,124,000			11,124,000			15,584,000
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net	372,049,000			372,049,000			281,521,000
GOODWILL	912,862,000			912,862,000			660,117,000
BROADCAST LICENSES	70,727,000			70,727,000			47,002,000
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	391,890,000			391,890,000			175,341,000
OTHER ASSETS	170,998,000			170,998,000			123,409,000
Total assets	2,160,241,000	[1]		2,160,241,000	[1]		1,571,417,000	[1]
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	7,302,000			7,302,000			8,872,000
Accrued liabilities	115,061,000			115,061,000			79,698,000
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing	42,432,000			42,432,000			38,195,000
Current portion of program contracts payable	50,569,000			50,569,000			63,825,000
Total current liabilities	231,778,000			231,778,000			195,582,000
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion	1,667,809,000			1,667,809,000			1,148,271,000
Program contracts payable, less current portion	21,300,000			21,300,000			27,625,000
Total liabilities	2,226,523,000	[1]		2,226,523,000	[1]		1,682,779,000	[1]
Consolidated VIEs
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	3,340,000			3,340,000			2,739,000
Accounts receivable	95,000			95,000
Income taxes receivable	131,000			131,000			142,000
Current portion of program contract costs	324,000			324,000			413,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	133,000			133,000			99,000
Total current assets	4,023,000			4,023,000			3,393,000
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion	753,000			753,000			271,000
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net	6,308,000			6,308,000			6,658,000
GOODWILL	6,357,000			6,357,000			6,357,000
BROADCAST LICENSES	6,851,000			6,851,000			4,208,000
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	8,660,000			8,660,000			6,601,000
OTHER ASSETS	11,918,000			11,918,000			5,980,000
Total assets	44,870,000			44,870,000			33,468,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	15,000			15,000			37,000
Accrued liabilities	156,000			156,000			315,000
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing	5,600,000			5,600,000			11,074,000
Current portion of program contracts payable	281,000			281,000			373,000
Total current liabilities	6,052,000			6,052,000			11,799,000
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion	2,351,000			2,351,000			2,411,000
Program contracts payable, less current portion	2,794,000			2,794,000			173,000
Total liabilities	11,197,000			11,197,000			14,383,000
Cunningham
Variable Interest Entities
Number of television stations owned	7			7
Total revenue	24,800,000		22,600,000	48,100,000		45,900,000
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Total payments made under the LMA excluded from liabilities	29,800,000			29,800,000			22,700,000
Total capital leased assets excluded from VIE consolidation	11,800,000			11,800,000			11,800,000
Outsourcing agreements
Variable Interest Entities
Total revenue	$ 4,100,000		$ 2,900,000	$ 7,700,000		$ 6,100,000

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $44.9 million and $33.5 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of June 30, 2012 and December 31, 2011 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $11.2 million and $14.4 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us.