NATURE OF OPERATIONS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES: (Details 2) (USD $)	3 Months Ended										12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014 item		Sep. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013		Sep. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2013	Mar. 31, 2013	Dec. 31, 2014 item		Dec. 31, 2013		Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011
Variable Interest Entities
Number of television stations owned	164										164
Net revenue	$ 613,818,000		$ 494,956,000	$ 455,136,000	$ 412,648,000	$ 427,715,000		$ 338,644,000	$ 314,154,000	$ 282,618,000	$ 1,976,558,000		$ 1,363,131,000		$ 1,061,679,000
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	17,682,000					280,104,000					17,682,000		280,104,000		22,865,000	12,967,000
Accounts receivable	383,503,000					308,974,000					383,503,000		308,974,000
Current portion of program contract costs	88,198,000					74,324,000					88,198,000		74,324,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	21,338,000					30,781,000					21,338,000		30,781,000
Total current assets	526,165,000					697,871,000					526,165,000		697,871,000
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion	38,531,000					24,708,000					38,531,000		24,708,000
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net	752,538,000					596,071,000					752,538,000		596,071,000
GOODWILL	1,964,553,000					1,380,082,000					1,964,553,000		1,380,082,000		1,074,032,000
BROADCAST LICENSES	135,075,000					101,029,000					135,075,000		101,029,000
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	1,818,263,000					1,127,755,000					1,818,263,000		1,127,755,000
OTHER ASSETS	208,230,000	[1]				208,209,000	[1]				208,230,000	[1]	208,209,000	[1]
Total assets	5,452,172,000					4,147,472,000					5,452,172,000		4,147,472,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	12,248,000					13,989,000					12,248,000		13,989,000
Accrued liabilities	246,123,000					182,185,000					246,123,000		182,185,000
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing	113,116,000					46,346,000					113,116,000		46,346,000
Current portion of program contracts payable	104,922,000					90,933,000					104,922,000		90,933,000
Total current liabilities	494,006,000					343,381,000					494,006,000		343,381,000
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion	3,796,666,000					2,966,402,000					3,796,666,000		2,966,402,000
Program contracts payable, less current portion	60,605,000					34,681,000					60,605,000		34,681,000
Total liabilities	5,046,829,000					3,741,768,000					5,046,829,000		3,741,768,000
Increase in additional paid in capital related to sale of investment in common stock													7,008,000
Eliminations
Variable Interest Entities
Net revenue											(86,466,000)		(56,622,000)		(11,376,000)
CURRENT ASSETS:
Total current assets	(12,991,000)					(7,468,000)					(12,991,000)		(7,468,000)
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net	(7,099,000)					(7,443,000)					(7,099,000)		(7,443,000)
Total assets	(4,740,259,000)					(3,527,513,000)					(4,740,259,000)		(3,527,513,000)
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing						548,000							548,000
Total current liabilities	(16,134,000)					(1,994,000)					(16,134,000)		(1,994,000)
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion						1,759,000							1,759,000
Total liabilities	(833,963,000)					(707,261,000)					(833,963,000)		(707,261,000)
Consolidated VIEs, aggregated
Variable Interest Entities
Number of licensees as VIEs											37		34
Net revenue											286,300,000		235,800,000		154,600,000
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and cash equivalents	491,000					4,916,000					491,000		4,916,000
Accounts receivable	19,521,000					18,468,000					19,521,000		18,468,000
Current portion of program contract costs	9,544,000					10,725,000					9,544,000		10,725,000
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	297,000					247,000					297,000		247,000
Total current assets	29,853,000					34,356,000					29,853,000		34,356,000
PROGRAM CONTRACT COSTS, less current portion	6,922,000					5,075,000					6,922,000		5,075,000
PROPERTY AND EQUIPMENT, net	9,716,000					11,081,000					9,716,000		11,081,000
GOODWILL	787,000					6,357,000					787,000		6,357,000
BROADCAST LICENSES	16,935,000					16,768,000					16,935,000		16,768,000
DEFINITE-LIVED INTANGIBLE ASSETS, net	96,732,000					97,496,000					96,732,000		97,496,000
OTHER ASSETS	2,376,000					22,935,000					2,376,000		22,935,000
Total assets	163,321,000					194,068,000					163,321,000		194,068,000
CURRENT LIABILITIES:
Accounts payable	68,000					86,000					68,000		86,000
Accrued liabilities	1,297,000					2,536,000					1,297,000		2,536,000
Current portion of notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing	3,659,000					5,731,000					3,659,000		5,731,000
Current portion of program contracts payable	9,714,000					11,552,000					9,714,000		11,552,000
Total current liabilities	14,738,000					19,905,000					14,738,000		19,905,000
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Notes payable, capital leases and commercial bank financing, less current portion	28,640,000					49,850,000					28,640,000		49,850,000
Program contracts payable, less current portion	10,161,000					6,597,000					10,161,000		6,597,000
Long term liabilities	8,739,000					10,838,000					8,739,000		10,838,000
Total liabilities	62,278,000					87,190,000					62,278,000		87,190,000
Consolidated VIEs, aggregated | Minimum
Variable Interest Entities
Initial term of certain outsourcing agreements											5 years
Consolidated VIEs | Cunningham
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Increase in additional paid in capital related to sale of investment in common stock											7,000,000
Consolidated VIEs | Eliminations
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Liabilities associated with the certain outsourcing agreements and purchase options	78,100,000					59,900,000					78,100,000		59,900,000
Consolidated VIEs | Eliminations | Cunningham
LONG-TERM LIABILITIES:
Total payments made under the LMA excluded from liabilities	34,400,000					32,400,000					34,400,000		32,400,000
Total capital leased assets excluded from VIE consolidation	$ 4,300,000					$ 5,000,000					$ 4,300,000		$ 5,000,000

[1] Our consolidated total assets as of December?31, 2014 and 2013 include total assets of variable interest entities (VIEs) of $163.3 million and $194.1 million, respectively, which can only be used to settle the obligations of the VIEs. Our consolidated total liabilities as of December?31, 2014 and 2013 include total liabilities of the VIEs of $30.0 million and $31.6 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.