CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Consolidated total debt	$ 3,787,900,000
Cash	99,350,000	280,104,000	228,994,000	22,865,000
Accounts and other receivables	327,643,000	309,156,000
Other current assets	146,283,000	108,611,000
Total current assets	573,276,000	697,871,000
Property and equipment, net	712,677,000	596,071,000
Assets held for sale	40,848,000
Restricted cash - long term	104,330,000	11,747,000
Other long-term assets	265,119,000	232,917,000
Total other long-term assets	410,297,000	244,664,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets	3,598,006,000	2,608,866,000
Total assets (a)	5,294,256,000	4,147,472,000	3,617,673,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	282,650,000	196,174,000
Current portion of long-term debt	43,130,000	46,346,000
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	2,676,000	2,367,000
Other current liabilities	134,571,000	98,494,000
Total current liabilities	463,027,000	343,381,000
Liabilities held for sale	4,310,000
Long-term debt	3,725,185,000	2,966,402,000
Affiliate long-term debt	16,901,000	18,925,000
Other liabilities	730,390,000	413,060,000
Total liabilities	4,939,813,000	3,741,768,000
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' equity	374,735,000	396,370,000
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(20,292,000)	9,334,000
Total liabilities and equity	5,294,256,000	4,147,472,000
5.625% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2024
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.625%
5.375% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2021
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Interest rate (as a percent)	5.375%
6.125% Senior Unsecured Notes, due 2022
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.125%
6.375% Senior Notes, due 2021
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Interest rate (as a percent)	6.375%
Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Amount of debt guaranteed by parent	3,623,100,000
Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Consolidated total debt	3,674,000,000
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Broadcast Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Accounts and other receivables	29,000	59,000
Other current assets	5,723,000	5,500,000
Total current assets	5,752,000	5,559,000
Property and equipment, net	4,215,000	5,017,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	356,471,000	363,231,000
Other long-term assets	70,173,000	78,849,000
Total other long-term assets	426,644,000	442,080,000
Total assets (a)	436,611,000	452,656,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	833,000	234,000
Current portion of long-term debt	621,000	556,000
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	1,420,000	1,294,000
Other current liabilities	565,000	3,529,000
Total current liabilities	3,439,000	5,613,000
Long-term debt	55,000	529,000
Affiliate long-term debt	3,886,000	4,972,000
Other liabilities	54,496,000	45,172,000
Total liabilities	61,876,000	56,286,000
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' equity	374,735,000	396,370,000
Total liabilities and equity	436,611,000	452,656,000
Reportable legal entities | Sinclair Television Group, Inc.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	84,226,000	237,974,000	194,539,000	7,230,000
Accounts and other receivables	184,000	818,000
Other current assets	22,129,000	25,887,000
Total current assets	106,539,000	264,679,000
Property and equipment, net	15,220,000	13,561,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	3,356,852,000	2,508,058,000
Restricted cash - long term	21,130,000	11,524,000
Other long-term assets	603,884,000	503,674,000
Total other long-term assets	3,981,866,000	3,023,256,000
Total assets (a)	4,103,625,000	3,301,496,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	82,484,000	51,781,000
Current portion of long-term debt	36,533,000	37,335,000
Total current liabilities	119,017,000	89,116,000
Long-term debt	3,555,553,000	2,793,334,000
Other liabilities	6,719,000	23,645,000
Total liabilities	3,681,289,000	2,906,095,000
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' equity	422,336,000	395,401,000
Total liabilities and equity	4,103,625,000	3,301,496,000
Reportable legal entities | Guarantor Subsidiaries and KDSM, LLC
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	2,947,000	28,594,000	16,911,000	199,000
Accounts and other receivables	300,448,000	281,822,000
Other current assets	144,931,000	67,279,000
Total current assets	448,326,000	377,695,000
Property and equipment, net	539,892,000	454,917,000
Assets held for sale	40,848,000
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	4,179,000	4,179,000
Restricted cash - long term	83,200,000	223,000
Other long-term assets	114,728,000	62,435,000
Total other long-term assets	242,955,000	66,837,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets	3,504,324,000	2,486,794,000
Total assets (a)	4,735,497,000	3,386,243,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	179,575,000	126,245,000
Current portion of long-term debt	1,236,000	1,007,000
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	1,256,000	1,073,000
Other current liabilities	124,318,000	87,612,000
Total current liabilities	306,385,000	215,937,000
Liabilities held for sale	4,310,000
Long-term debt	34,735,000	35,709,000
Affiliate long-term debt	13,017,000	13,984,000
Other liabilities	1,017,932,000	610,491,000
Total liabilities	1,376,379,000	876,121,000
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' equity	3,359,118,000	2,510,122,000
Total liabilities and equity	4,735,497,000	3,386,243,000
Reportable legal entities | Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Cash	12,177,000	13,536,000	17,544,000	15,436,000
Accounts and other receivables	27,065,000	27,479,000
Other current assets	23,774,000	16,391,000
Total current assets	63,016,000	57,406,000
Property and equipment, net	159,604,000	130,019,000
Other long-term assets	116,100,000	132,840,000
Total other long-term assets	116,100,000	132,840,000
Goodwill and other intangible assets	199,237,000	214,325,000
Total assets (a)	537,957,000	534,590,000
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	65,523,000	17,914,000
Current portion of long-term debt	4,740,000	7,448,000
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	1,041,000	1,003,000
Other current liabilities	12,449,000	9,645,000
Total current liabilities	83,753,000	36,010,000
Long-term debt	134,842,000	136,830,000
Affiliate long-term debt	314,377,000	294,919,000
Other liabilities	161,144,000	145,828,000
Total liabilities	694,116,000	613,587,000
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' equity	(131,660,000)	(88,331,000)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	(24,499,000)	9,334,000
Total liabilities and equity	537,957,000	534,590,000
Eliminations
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING BALANCE SHEET
Accounts and other receivables	(83,000)	(1,022,000)
Other current assets	(50,274,000)	(6,446,000)
Total current assets	(50,357,000)	(7,468,000)
Property and equipment, net	(6,254,000)	(7,443,000)
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(3,717,502,000)	(2,875,468,000)
Other long-term assets	(639,766,000)	(544,881,000)
Total other long-term assets	(4,357,268,000)	(3,420,349,000)
Goodwill and other intangible assets	(105,555,000)	(92,253,000)
Total assets (a)	(4,519,434,000)	(3,527,513,000)
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities	(45,765,000)
Current portion of affiliate long-term debt	(1,041,000)	(1,003,000)
Other current liabilities	(2,761,000)	(2,292,000)
Total current liabilities	(49,567,000)	(3,295,000)
Affiliate long-term debt	(314,379,000)	(294,950,000)
Other liabilities	(509,901,000)	(412,076,000)
Total liabilities	(873,847,000)	(710,321,000)
Total Sinclair Broadcast Group shareholders' equity	(3,649,794,000)	(2,817,192,000)
Noncontrolling interests in consolidated subsidiaries	4,207,000
Total liabilities and equity	$ (4,519,434,000)	$ (3,527,513,000)