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Pension, Postretirement, and Postemployement Obligations | 6 Months Ended
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Mar. 27, 2016
Pension Postretirement And Postemployment Defined Benefit Plans [Abstract] |
Pension and Other Postretirement Benefits Disclosure [Text Block] | PENSION, POSTRETIREMENT AND POSTEMPLOYMENT DEFINED BENEFIT PLANS We have several noncontributory defined benefit pension plans that together cover selected employees. Benefits under the plans were generally based on salary and years of service. Effective in 2012, substantially all benefits are frozen and only a small amount of additional benefits are being accrued. Our liability and related expense for benefits under the plans are recorded over the service period of employees based upon annual actuarial calculations. Plan funding strategies are influenced by government regulations. Plan assets consist primarily of domestic and foreign corporate equity securities, government and corporate bonds, hedge fund investments and cash. In addition, we provide retiree medical and life insurance benefits under postretirement plans at several of our operating locations. The level and adjustment of participant contributions vary depending on the specific plan. In addition, one of our Pulitzer Subsidiaries, St. Louis Post-Dispatch LLC, provides postemployment disability benefits to certain employee groups prior to retirement. Our liability and related expense for benefits under the postretirement plans are recorded over the service period of active employees based upon annual actuarial calculations. We accrue postemployment disability benefits when it becomes probable that such benefits will be paid and when sufficient information exists to make reasonable estimates of the amounts to be paid. Postretirement medical plan assets may also be used to fund current medical costs of certain active employees. We use a fiscal year end measurement date for all of our pension and postretirement medical plan obligations. The net periodic postretirement cost (benefit) components for our postretirement plans are as follows:
PENSION PLANS | 13 Weeks Ended |  | 26 Weeks Ended |
(Thousands of Dollars) | March 27 2016 |  | March 29 2015 |  | March 27 2016 |  | March 29 2015 |
Service cost for benefits earned during the period | 49 |  | 226 |  | 98 |  | 452 |
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation | 1,515 |  | 1,859 |  | 3,030 |  | 3,718 |
Expected return on plan assets | (2,174 | ) | (2,466 | ) | (4,348 | ) | (4,932 | )
Amortization of net loss | 599 |  | 420 |  | 1,198 |  | 840 |
Amortization of prior service benefit | (34 | ) | (34 | ) | (68 | ) | (68 | )
Pension expense (benefit) | (45 | ) | 5 |  | (90 | ) | 10 |
POSTRETIREMENT MEDICAL PLANS | 13 Weeks Ended |  | 26 Weeks Ended |
(Thousands of Dollars) | March 27 2016 |  | March 29 2015 |  | March 27 2016 |  | March 29 2015 |
Service cost for benefits earned during the period | 16 |  | 39 |  | 32 |  | 78 |
Interest cost on projected benefit obligation | 156 |  | 211 |  | 312 |  | 422 |
Expected return on plan assets | (331 | ) | (361 | ) | (662 | ) | (722 | )
Amortization of net gain | (273 | ) | (347 | ) | (546 | ) | (694 | )
Amortization of prior service benefit | (365 | ) | (365 | ) | (730 | ) | (730 | )
Postretirement medical benefit | (797 | ) | (823 | ) | (1,594 | ) | (1,646 | )
Amortization of net gains (losses) and prior service benefits are recorded as compensation in the Consolidated Statements of Income and Comprehensive Income. In the 13 weeks and 26 weeks ended March 27, 2016 we contributed $744,000 and $1,488,000, respectively to our pension plans. Based on our forecast at March 27, 2016, we expect to contribute $2,759,000 to our pension plans for the remainder of 2016. Based on our forecast at March 27, 2016, we do not expect to contribute to our postretirement medical plans for the remainder of 2016.

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- Definition Pension Postretirement And Postemployment Defined Benefit Plans [Abstract] + References No definition available. + Details
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- Definition The entire disclosure for pension and other postretirement benefits. + References Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 80 -Section 50 -Paragraph 11 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170332&loc=SL14450702-114947 Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 20 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=58740216&loc=d3e2410-114920 Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 60 -Section 50 -Paragraph 2 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414203&loc=d3e39675-114964 Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 70 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=49170846&loc=d3e28014-114942 Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 715 -SubTopic 60 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6414199&loc=d3e39622-114963 + Details
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