CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012		Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2013 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2021	Jun. 28, 2013 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2021	Apr. 02, 2013 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2021	Sep. 30, 2013 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022	Jun. 28, 2013 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022	Oct. 31, 2012 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022	Sep. 30, 2013 8.375% Senior Notes due 2018	Oct. 12, 2013 9.25% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2017	Sep. 30, 2013 9.25% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2017	Sep. 30, 2013 6.375% Senior Notes, due 2021	Sep. 30, 2013 4.875% Notes	Sep. 30, 2013 3.0% Notes	Dec. 31, 2012 6.0% Notes	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc. 3.0% Notes	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Television Group, Inc. 5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2021	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Television Group, Inc. 6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Television Group, Inc. 8.375% Senior Notes due 2018	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Television Group, Inc. 9.25% Senior Secured Second Lien Notes due 2017	Sep. 30, 2013 Sinclair Television Group, Inc. 6.375% Senior Notes, due 2021	Sep. 30, 2013 Reportable legal entities Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Reportable legal entities Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.	Sep. 30, 2013 Reportable legal entities Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2012 Reportable legal entities Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Sep. 30, 2012 Reportable legal entities Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Dec. 31, 2011 Reportable legal entities Sinclair Television Group, Inc.	Sep. 30, 2013 Reportable legal entities Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Dec. 31, 2012 Reportable legal entities Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Sep. 30, 2012 Reportable legal entities Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Dec. 31, 2011 Reportable legal entities Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC	Sep. 30, 2013 Reportable legal entities Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2012 Reportable legal entities Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Sep. 30, 2012 Reportable legal entities Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Dec. 31, 2011 Reportable legal entities Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries	Sep. 30, 2013 Eliminations	Dec. 31, 2012 Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Interest rate (as a percent)							5.375%	5.375%	5.375%	6.125%	6.125%	6.125%	8.375%	9.25%	9.25%	6.375%	4.875%	3.00%	6.00%		3.00%		5.375%	6.125%	8.375%	9.25%	6.375%
Consolidated total debt	$ 2,475,000,000																					$ 2,380,600,000
Amount of debt guaranteed by parent																				2,338,400,000
Cash	228,994,000		22,865,000		44,625,000	12,967,000																								194,539,000	7,230,000	11,410,000	188,000	16,911,000	199,000	488,000	313,000	17,544,000	15,436,000	32,727,000	12,466,000
Accounts and other receivables	250,054,000		183,896,000																									86,000	152,000	1,733,000	907,000			239,971,000	175,837,000			9,620,000	7,622,000			(1,356,000)	(622,000)
Other current assets	102,634,000		67,330,000																									2,487,000	2,821,000	8,538,000	2,342,000			81,134,000	56,522,000			12,446,000	9,028,000			(1,971,000)	(3,383,000)
Assets held for sale	5,900,000		30,357,000																															5,900,000	30,357,000
Total current assets	587,582,000		304,448,000																									2,573,000	2,973,000	204,810,000	10,479,000			343,916,000	262,915,000			39,610,000	32,086,000			(3,327,000)	(4,005,000)
Property and equipment, net	513,382,000		439,713,000																									5,284,000	6,315,000	11,008,000	8,938,000			380,973,000	321,873,000			123,359,000	113,454,000			(7,242,000)	(10,867,000)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries																												378,899,000		2,098,135,000	1,636,504,000			2,783,000	1,956,000							(2,479,817,000)	(1,638,460,000)
Restricted cash - long-term	41,257,000		225,000																											38,933,000	2,000			222,000	223,000			2,102,000
Other long-term assets	259,926,000		202,751,000																									80,396,000	84,055,000	474,993,000	375,687,000			78,519,000	60,114,000			118,092,000	112,757,000			(492,074,000)	(429,862,000)
Total other long-term assets	301,183,000		202,976,000																									459,295,000	84,055,000	2,612,061,000	2,012,193,000			81,524,000	62,293,000			120,194,000	112,757,000			(2,971,891,000)	(2,068,322,000)
Goodwill and other intangible assets	2,215,526,000		1,782,560,000																															2,113,626,000	1,706,646,000			176,899,000	153,961,000			(74,999,000)	(78,047,000)
Total assets	3,617,673,000	[1]	2,729,697,000	[1]																								467,152,000	93,343,000	2,827,879,000	2,031,610,000			2,920,039,000	2,353,727,000			460,062,000	412,258,000			(3,057,459,000)	(2,161,241,000)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	215,191,000		153,817,000																									200,000	326,000	89,341,000	61,165,000			111,616,000	83,049,000			14,354,000	9,379,000			(320,000)	(102,000)
Current portion of long-term debt	16,622,000		47,622,000																									536,000	483,000	4,665,000	31,113,000			967,000	800,000			10,454,000	15,226,000
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	2,271,000		1,704,000																									1,254,000	1,102,000					1,017,000	602,000			720,000	433,000			(720,000)	(433,000)
Other current liabilities	106,627,000		102,060,000																									938,000						95,595,000	96,288,000			10,070,000	8,871,000			24,000	(3,099,000)
Liabilities held for sale			2,397,000																																2,397,000
Total current liabilities	340,711,000		307,600,000																									2,928,000	1,911,000	94,006,000	92,278,000			209,195,000	183,136,000			35,598,000	33,909,000			(1,016,000)	(3,634,000)
Long-term debt	2,436,386,000		2,210,866,000																									6,076,000	12,502,000	2,275,837,000	2,088,586,000			35,965,000	36,705,000			118,508,000	73,073,000
Affiliate long-term debt	19,619,000		13,187,000																									5,306,000	6,303,000					14,314,000	6,884,000			283,097,000	267,521,000			(283,098,000)	(267,521,000)
Dividends in excess of investment in consolidated subsidiaries																													178,869,000														(178,869,000)
Other liabilities	404,719,000		298,097,000																									44,321,000	10,708,000	28,381,000	2,509,000			563,579,000	491,845,000			110,021,000	103,007,000			(341,583,000)	(309,972,000)
Total liabilities	3,201,435,000	[1]	2,829,750,000	[1]																								58,631,000	210,293,000	2,398,224,000	2,183,373,000			823,053,000	718,570,000			547,224,000	477,510,000			(625,697,000)	(759,996,000)
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' equity (deficit)	408,521,000		(116,950,000)																									408,521,000	(116,950,000)	429,655,000	(151,763,000)			2,096,986,000	1,635,157,000			(94,879,000)	(82,149,000)			(2,431,762,000)	(1,401,245,000)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	7,717,000		16,897,000																																			7,717,000	16,897,000
Total liabilities and equity (deficit)	$ 3,617,673,000		$ 2,729,697,000																									$ 467,152,000	$ 93,343,000	$ 2,827,879,000	$ 2,031,610,000			$ 2,920,039,000	$ 2,353,727,000			$ 460,062,000	$ 412,258,000			$ (3,057,459,000)	$ (2,161,241,000)

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $148.9 million and $107.9 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $16.4 million and $7.9 million, respectively, for which the creditors of the VIEs have no recourse to us.