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Amount of currency on hand as well as demand deposits with banks or financial institutions, acquired at the acquisition date. Includes other kinds of accounts that have the general characteristics of demand deposits. Also includes short-term, highly liquid investments that are both readily convertible to known amounts of cash and so near their maturity that they present insignificant risk of changes in value because of changes in interest rates.

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Exercise price per share or per unit of warrants or rights outstanding.

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Acquisitions - Narrative (Details) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands, home in Millions								3 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Jan. 07, 2021 USD ($) home station $ / shares shares	Nov. 20, 2020 USD ($)	Sep. 19, 2019 USD ($) market television_station	Jun. 10, 2019 USD ($)	May 01, 2019 USD ($) market television_station	Jan. 01, 2019 USD ($) television_station	Nov. 30, 2018 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2020 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2018 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2017 USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill									$ 1,203,212	$ 1,224,679	$ 786,837	$ 708,773
Subsequent Event
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Consideration received for business	$ 30,000
Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life									20 years
Customer lists and advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life									20 years
KCDO Television Station
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price		$ 9,600
Intangible assets acquired		6,900
Goodwill		1,700
Property and equipment		$ 900
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price			$ 582,000
Goodwill			168,196
Property and equipment			$ 61,569
Number of television stations acquired \| television_station			8
Number Of Markets \| market			7
Number of Television Stations \| television_station			1
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Tribune Media Company
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of Television Stations \| television_station			7
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired			$ 181,000
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Customer lists and advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired			$ 7,100
Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price					$ 521,000
Goodwill					251,681
Property and equipment					$ 53,734
Number of television stations acquired \| television_station					15
Working capital adjustment					$ 23,900
Reduction of purchase price								$ 2,500
Number Of Markets \| market					10
Cordillera Communications, LLC \| Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired					$ 169,400
Cordillera Communications, LLC \| Customer lists and advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired					5,900
Cordillera Communications, LLC \| Shared service agreement
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired					$ 13,000
Estimated useful life					20 years
Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Transaction costs										19,900
Raycom Media, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price						$ 55,000
Goodwill						18,349
Property and equipment						$ 11,721
Number of television stations acquired \| television_station						3
Raycom Media, Inc. \| Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired						$ 17,400
Raycom Media, Inc. \| Customer lists and advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired						$ 700
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Goodwill										438,226
Property and equipment										127,024
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired										367,800
Estimated useful life									20 years
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Customer lists and advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired										13,700
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Customer lists and advertiser relationships \| Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life									5 years
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Customer lists and advertiser relationships \| Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life									10 years
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. \| Shared service agreement
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired										13,000
Omny Studio
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price				$ 8,300
Goodwill				5,300
Acquisition adjustment									$ 16
Omny Studio \| Developed Technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired				$ 3,800
Estimated useful life				10 years
ION Media \| Subsequent Event
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price	$ 2,650,000
Exercise price of warrants \| $ / shares	$ 13
Number of stations divested \| station	23
ION Media \| Common stock, Class A \| Subsequent Event
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of warrants \| shares	23,100
ION Media \| Berkshire Hathaway \| Preferred Stock \| Subsequent Event
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equity issued	$ 600,000
Number of warrants \| shares	23,100
Exercise price of warrants \| $ / shares	$ 13
ION Media \| UNITED STATES \| Subsequent Event
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of homes reached \| home	100
Triton Digital Canada, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price							$ 160,000
Intangible assets acquired							75,000
Goodwill							80,656
Cash acquired							10,515
Acquisition adjustment									3,200	$ 3,220
Decrease in fair value of DTL									$ (3,600)
Triton Digital Canada, Inc. \| Customer lists and advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired							$ 31,000
Estimated useful life							12 years
Triton Digital Canada, Inc. \| Developed Technology
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired							$ 39,000
Triton Digital Canada, Inc. \| Developed Technology \| Minimum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life							8 years
Triton Digital Canada, Inc. \| Developed Technology \| Maximum
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Estimated useful life							12 years
Triton Digital Canada, Inc. \| Trade names
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible assets acquired							$ 5,000
Estimated useful life							10 years