CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: (Details) (USD $)	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2009	Dec. 31, 2012 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022	Oct. 12, 2012 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022	Dec. 31, 2012 8.375% Senior Notes, due 2018	Oct. 04, 2010 8.375% Senior Notes, due 2018	Dec. 31, 2012 9.25% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, due 2017	Oct. 29, 2009 9.25% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes, due 2017	Dec. 31, 2012 4.875% Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 3.0% Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 6.0% Notes	Dec. 31, 2005 6.0% Notes	Dec. 31, 2003 8.0% Notes	Dec. 31, 2002 8.0% Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2011 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2011 Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2010 Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2009 Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Dec. 31, 2011 Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Dec. 31, 2010 Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Dec. 31, 2009 Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Dec. 31, 2012 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2010 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2009 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2011 Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries Revisions	Dec. 31, 2012 Eliminations	Dec. 31, 2011 Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Interest rate (as a percent)							6.125%	6.125%	8.375%	8.375%	9.25%	9.25%	4.875%	3.00%	6.00%	6.00%	8.00%	8.00%
Debt related to STG and its subsidiaries	$ 2,273,400,000																		$ 2,138,000,000		$ 2,184,600,000
Cash	22,865,000		12,967,000		21,974,000	23,224,000															7,230,000	188,000	5,071,000	10,364,000	199,000	313,000	1,022,000	217,000	15,436,000	12,466,000	15,881,000	12,643,000
Accounts and other receivables	183,896,000		133,167,000																152,000	60,000	907,000	348,000			175,837,000	126,590,000			7,622,000	6,276,000				(622,000)	(107,000)
Other current assets	67,330,000		63,583,000																2,821,000	2,430,000	2,342,000	2,561,000			56,522,000	55,855,000			9,028,000	3,021,000				(3,383,000)	(284,000)
Assets held for sale	30,357,000																								30,357,000
Total current assets	304,448,000		209,717,000																2,973,000	2,490,000	10,479,000	3,097,000			262,915,000	182,758,000			32,086,000	21,763,000				(4,005,000)	(391,000)
Property and equipment, net	439,713,000		281,521,000																6,315,000	8,234,000	8,938,000	7,783,000			321,873,000	171,749,000			113,454,000	104,825,000				(10,867,000)	(11,070,000)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries																					1,636,504,000	575,848,000			1,956,000									(1,638,460,000)	(575,848,000)
Restricted cash long-term	225,000		58,726,000																		2,000	58,503,000			223,000	223,000
Other long-term assets	202,751,000		138,993,000																84,055,000	86,186,000	375,687,000	353,929,000			60,114,000	17,209,000			112,757,000	99,630,000				(429,862,000)	(417,961,000)
Total other long-term assets	202,976,000		197,719,000																84,055,000	86,186,000	2,012,193,000	988,280,000			62,293,000	17,432,000			112,757,000	99,630,000				(2,068,322,000)	(993,809,000)
Goodwill and other intangible assets	1,782,560,000		882,460,000																						1,706,646,000	826,175,000			153,961,000	83,387,000				(78,047,000)	(27,102,000)
Total assets	2,729,697,000	[1]	1,571,417,000	[1]															93,343,000	96,910,000	2,031,610,000	999,160,000			2,353,727,000	1,198,114,000			412,258,000	309,605,000				(2,161,241,000)	(1,032,372,000)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	153,817,000		88,570,000																326,000	1,499,000	61,165,000	30,888,000			83,049,000	51,119,000			9,379,000	7,555,000				(102,000)	(2,491,000)
Current portion of long-term debt	47,622,000		38,195,000																483,000	420,000	31,113,000	14,450,000			800,000	589,000			15,226,000	22,736,000
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	1,704,000		3,014,000																1,102,000	998,000					602,000	2,016,000			433,000	210,000				(433,000)	(210,000)
Other current liabilities	102,060,000		65,803,000																						96,288,000	65,431,000			8,871,000	372,000				(3,099,000)
Liabilities held for sale	2,397,000																								2,397,000
Total current liabilities	307,600,000		195,582,000																1,911,000	2,917,000	92,278,000	45,338,000			183,136,000	119,155,000			33,909,000	30,873,000				(3,634,000)	(2,701,000)
Long-term debt	2,210,866,000		1,148,271,000																12,502,000	12,811,000	2,088,586,000	1,055,446,000			36,705,000	37,502,000			73,073,000	42,512,000
Affiliate long-term debt	13,187,000		16,545,000																6,303,000	7,405,000					6,884,000	9,140,000			267,521,000	246,552,000				(267,521,000)	(246,552,000)
Dividends in excess of investment in consolidated subsidiaries																			178,869,000	143,857,000														(178,869,000)	(143,857,000)
Other liabilities	298,097,000		322,381,000																10,708,000	51,095,000	2,509,000	2,222,000			491,845,000	457,003,000			103,007,000	58,222,000				(309,972,000)	(246,161,000)
Total liabilities	2,829,750,000	[1]	1,682,779,000	[1]															210,293,000	218,085,000	2,183,373,000	1,103,006,000			718,570,000	622,800,000			477,510,000	378,159,000				(759,996,000)	(639,271,000)
Common stock	812,000		809,000																812,000	809,000					10,000	10,000								(10,000)	(10,000)
Additional paid-in capital	600,928,000		617,375,000																600,928,000	617,375,000	(175,973,000)	7,755,000			1,084,302,000	264,413,000			64,096,000	52,710,000			(1,600,000)	(972,425,000)	(324,878,000)
Accumulated (deficit) earnings	(713,697,000)		(734,511,000)																(713,697,000)	(734,511,000)	27,597,000	(108,558,000)			553,777,000	313,269,000			(147,299,000)	(131,527,000)			(9,100,000)	(434,075,000)	(73,184,000)
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) gain	(4,993,000)		(4,848,000)																(4,993,000)	(4,848,000)	(3,387,000)	(3,043,000)			(2,932,000)	(2,378,000)			1,054,000	450,000				5,265,000	4,971,000
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' deficit	(116,950,000)		(121,175,000)																(116,950,000)	(121,175,000)	(151,763,000)	(103,846,000)			1,635,157,000	575,314,000			(82,149,000)	(78,367,000)				(1,401,245,000)	(393,101,000)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	16,897,000		9,813,000																										16,897,000	9,813,000			9,800,000
Total liabilities and equity (deficit)	2,729,697,000		1,571,417,000																93,343,000	96,910,000	2,031,610,000	999,160,000			2,353,727,000	1,198,114,000			412,258,000	309,605,000				(2,161,241,000)	(1,032,372,000)
Noncurrent assets																																	$ 17,300,000

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $107.9 million and $33.5 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December 31, 2012 and 2011 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $7.9 million and $14.4 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.