ACQUISITIONS (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended					0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended	0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended			6 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended		0 Months Ended	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	0 Months Ended						3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended	18 Months Ended	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended		12 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 01, 2012 WLYH in Harrisburg, PA	Jun. 30, 2012 WLWC-TV	Jun. 30, 2013 WLWC-TV	Jun. 30, 2012 WLWC-TV	Dec. 01, 2012 WSTR and KMYS Deerfield item	Jun. 30, 2012 WLAJ-TV	Jun. 30, 2013 WLAJ-TV	Jun. 30, 2012 WLAJ-TV	Jun. 30, 2013 6.125% Notes	Jun. 28, 2013 6.125% Notes	Oct. 31, 2012 6.125% Notes	Jan. 02, 2012 Four Points item	Jun. 30, 2013 Four Points	Jun. 30, 2012 Four Points	Jun. 30, 2013 Four Points	Jun. 30, 2012 Four Points	Dec. 31, 2011 Four Points	Jan. 31, 2012 Four Points Network affiliations	Jan. 02, 2012 Four Points Network affiliations	Jan. 31, 2012 Four Points Decaying advertiser base	Jan. 02, 2012 Four Points Decaying advertiser base	Jan. 31, 2012 Four Points Other intangible assets	Jan. 02, 2012 Four Points Other intangible assets	Jan. 31, 2012 Four Points Term Loan B	Apr. 02, 2012 Freedom item	Jun. 30, 2013 Freedom	Jun. 30, 2012 Freedom	Mar. 31, 2012 Freedom	Jun. 30, 2013 Freedom	Jun. 30, 2012 Freedom	Dec. 31, 2011 Freedom	Apr. 30, 2012 Freedom Network affiliations	Apr. 02, 2012 Freedom Network affiliations	Apr. 30, 2012 Freedom Decaying advertiser base	Apr. 02, 2012 Freedom Decaying advertiser base	Apr. 30, 2012 Freedom Other intangible assets	Apr. 02, 2012 Freedom Other intangible assets	Apr. 30, 2012 Freedom Term Loan A	Apr. 30, 2012 Freedom Term Loan B	Dec. 01, 2012 Newport item	Jun. 30, 2013 Newport	Jun. 30, 2013 Newport	Dec. 01, 2012 Newport Network affiliations	Dec. 01, 2012 Newport Decaying advertiser base	Dec. 01, 2012 Newport Other intangible assets	Dec. 01, 2012 Newport 6.125% Notes	Dec. 01, 2012 WPMI and WJTC Deerfield	Feb. 01, 2013 WHAM Deerfield	Jun. 30, 2012 Other acquisitions	Jun. 30, 2013 Other acquisitions item	Dec. 31, 2012 Other acquisitions item	Jun. 30, 2013 Other acquisitions item	Jun. 30, 2013 WTTA-TV	Jun. 30, 2012 WTTA-TV	Jun. 30, 2013 WTTA-TV	Jun. 30, 2012 WTTA-TV	Dec. 31, 2012 WTTA-TV	Jun. 30, 2013 Acquisitions other than Cox Media Group item	Jun. 30, 2013 CMG item
Acquisitions
Number of television stations																7													8															7										6		6							4
Number of markets																4													7															6										5	3							5
Cash paid																$ 200,000,000													$ 385,000,000															$ 460,500,000											$ 45,100,000							$ 98,600,000
Working capital adjustment																900,000													(300,000)															1,300,000											700,000							5,300,000
Non-controlling interests related to, and amounts paid by Deerfield for, the license assets																																																							4,400,000							3,100,000
Amount of draw under incremental loan commitment used to finance acquisition																												180,000,000														157,500,000	192,500,000
Escrow deposit used to fund acquisition																20,000,000													38,500,000															41,300,000
Interest rate (as a percent)													6.125%	6.125%	6.125%																																			6.125%
Number of stations whose license assets were sold									2
Price of assets acquired/sold					200,000				10,700,000																																										6,000,000	6,000,000
Allocated fair value of acquired assets and assumed liabilities
Prepaid expenses and other current assets																456,000													373,000															1,390,000										268,000	160,000	268,000
Program contract costs																3,731,000													3,520,000															10,378,000										7,467,000	1,638,000	7,467,000
Property and equipment																34,578,000													54,109,000															53,883,000										26,315,000	16,545,000	26,315,000
Broadcast licenses																10,658,000													10,424,000															15,581,000										1,536,000	2,679,000	1,536,000
Definite-lived intangible assets																93,800,000							66,900,000		9,800,000		17,100,000		140,963,000								93,100,000		25,100,000		22,800,000			240,013,000			176,000,000	23,700,000	40,300,000					34,225,000	22,546,000	34,225,000
Other assets																548,000													278,000															1,097,000
Accrued liabilities																(381,000)													(589,000)															(3,928,000)										(1,290,000)	(1,178,000)	(1,290,000)
Program contracts payable																(5,157,000)													(3,404,000)															(11,634,000)										(7,498,000)	(4,252,000)	(7,498,000)
Fair value of identifiable net assets acquired																138,233,000													205,674,000															306,780,000										61,023,000	38,138,000	61,023,000
Goodwill																60,843,000													179,609,000															164,621,000										35,367,000	10,661,000	35,367,000
Total																199,076,000													385,283,000															471,401,000										96,390,000	48,799,000	96,390,000
Amortization period																						15 years		10 years												15 years		10 years									15 years	10 years
Weighted average life																										14 years														16 years									14 years
Amount paid for funding working capital needs																					8,100,000											9,600,000			1,500,000
Net broadcast revenues	279,270,000	217,582,000	532,195,000	408,470,000													18,600,000	16,800,000	36,400,000	33,200,000										27,400,000	25,700,000	10,000,000	53,700,000	25,700,000											38,300,000	73,200,000											18,600,000		27,500,000
Operating income (loss)	84,280,000	71,889,000	147,936,000	131,783,000													5,200,000	3,100,000	9,600,000	7,600,000										8,200,000	9,000,000		14,100,000	9,000,000											11,500,000	19,700,000											4,900,000		5,800,000
Net broadcast revenues						1,400,000	1,500,000	2,700,000		1,000,000	600,000	1,000,000
Operating income (loss)						(100,000)	300,000	(100,000)		200,000	(100,000)	200,000
Transaction costs																																																									2,900,000		2,900,000
Revenue from discontinued operations excluded from pro forma revenues												1,000,000
Costs incurred in corporate, general and administrative expenses	0	0																																																			0			0	100,000	200,000	500,000	500,000
Difference between the purchase price and the historical cost basis recorded as a reduction in additional paid-in capital																																																													23,600,000
Difference between the purchase price and the historical cost basis recorded as a reduction in additional paid-in capital, tax amount																																																													15,600,000
Pro Forma Information
Total revenues		285,377,000		560,254,000
Net Income		29,805,000		56,451,000
Net Income attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group		$ 28,976,000		$ 56,589,000
Basic and diluted earnings per share attributable to Sinclair Broadcast Group (in dollars per share)		$ 0.36		$ 0.70