DallasNews (DALN) 10-Q 30 Jul 14 2014 Q2 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jul. 25, 2014
Entity Registrant Name	'A. H. Belo Corp	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0001413898	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Document Period End Date	30-Jun-14	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2014	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q2	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	21,954,392
Series A: Common stock	'	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	19,565,857
Series B: Common stock	'	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	2,388,535

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Net Operating Revenue	'	'	'	'
Advertising and marketing services	$40,251	$42,223	$77,977	$81,886
Circulation	21,227	21,257	42,239	42,237
Printing and distribution	7,783	5,643	13,437	11,106
Total net operating revenue	69,261	69,123	133,653	135,229
Operating Costs and Expense	'	'	'	'
Employee compensation and benefits	25,722	26,702	53,886	56,538
Other production, distribution and operating costs	29,640	28,436	58,084	57,129
Newsprint, ink and other supplies	8,114	8,592	16,102	17,114
Depreciation	3,348	3,964	6,758	7,843
Amortization	30	30	60	60
Total operating costs and expense	66,854	67,724	134,890	138,684
Income (Loss) from operations	2,407	1,399	-1,237	-3,455
Other Income (Expense), Net	'	'	'	'
Gains on equity method investments, net	18,567	546	18,159	1,095
Interest expense	0	-8	0	-419
Other income (loss), net	141	68	258	-36
Total other income, net	18,708	606	18,417	640
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations Before Income Taxes	21,115	2,005	17,180	-2,815
Income tax provision	1,428	500	2,319	989
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations	19,687	1,505	14,861	-3,804
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	2,146	-452	3,123	-3,289
Gain (loss) related to the divestiture of discontinued operations, net	153	0	-25	0
Tax expense (benefit) from discontinued operations	30	-63	46	-133
Gain (Loss) from Discontinued Operations, Net	2,269	-389	3,052	-3,156
Net Income (Loss)	21,956	1,116	17,913	-6,960
Net loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	-24	-65	-30	-119
Net Income (Loss) Attributable to A. H. Belo Corporation	$21,980	$1,181	$17,943	($6,841)
Per Share Basis, Basic	'	'	'	'
Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations, basic (in dollars per share)	$0.86	$0.07	$0.64	($0.17)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Basic Share	$0.10	($0.02)	$0.14	($0.14)
Earnings Per Share, Basic	$0.96	$0.05	$0.78	($0.31)
Weighted average shares outstanding	'	'	'	'
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic	22,014,125	22,041,414	21,946,256	22,037,132
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	'	'	'	'
Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations, diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.85	$0.07	$0.64	($0.17)
Income (Loss) from Discontinued Operations and Disposal of Discontinued Operations, Net of Tax, Per Diluted Share	$0.10	($0.02)	$0.14	($0.14)
Earnings Per Share, Diluted	$0.95	$0.05	$0.78	($0.31)
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	'	'	'	'
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	22,121,695	22,135,162	22,064,339	22,037,132

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme1

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (unaudited) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Net Income (Loss)	$21,956	$1,116	$17,913	($6,960)
Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax:	'	'	'	'
Amortization of net actuarial (losses) gains	-174	246	-347	491
Total other comprehensive (loss) income	-174	246	-347	491
Comprehensive Income (Loss)	21,782	1,362	17,566	-6,469
Comprehensive loss attributable to noncontrolling interests	-24	-65	-30	-119
Total Comprehensive Income (Loss) Attributable to A. H. Belo Corporation	$21,806	$1,427	$17,596	($6,350)

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current assets:	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$59,754	$82,193
Accounts receivable (net of allowance of $1,276 and $1,055 at June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively)	28,399	32,270
Inventories	7,974	5,567
Prepaids and other current assets	8,181	5,618
Deferred income taxes, net	116	61
Assets held for sale	2,525	0
Assets of discontinued operations	36,658	42,716
Total current assets	143,607	168,425
Property, plant and equipment, at cost:	'	'
Property, plant and equipment, at cost	488,364	488,998
Less accumulated depreciation	-420,056	-414,135
Property, plant and equipment, net	68,308	74,863
Intangible assets, net	554	241
Goodwill	24,582	24,582
Investments	8,511	7,333
Deferred income taxes, net	230	538
Other assets	4,098	3,236
Total assets	249,890	279,218
Current liabilities:	'	'
Accounts payable	12,575	13,717
Accrued compensation and benefits	9,793	9,816
Other accrued expense	3,271	4,459
Advance subscription payments	14,555	14,842
Liabilities of discontinued operations	9,489	11,538
Total current liabilities	49,683	54,372
Long-term pension liabilities	44,187	50,082
Other post-employment benefits	2,659	2,730
Other liabilities	4,172	3,258
Shareholders’ equity:	'	'
Preferred stock, $.01 par value; Authorized 2,000,000 shares; none issued	0	0
Treasury stock, Series A, at cost; 695,285 and 495,200 shares held at June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013, respectively	-5,231	-3,113
Additional paid-in capital	498,890	496,682
Accumulated other comprehensive loss	-15,440	-15,093
Accumulated deficit	-329,585	-310,099
Total shareholders’ equity attributable to A. H. Belo Corporation	148,861	168,600
Noncontrolling interests	328	176
Total shareholders’ equity	149,189	168,776
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	249,890	279,218
Series A: Common stock	'	'
Shareholders’ equity:	'	'
Common stock, $.01 par value; Authorized 125,000,000 shares	203	199
Series B: Common stock	'	'
Shareholders’ equity:	'	'
Common stock, $.01 par value; Authorized 125,000,000 shares	$24	$24

Condensed_Consolidated_Balance1

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets Parenthetical (unaudited) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified
Allowance for doubtful accounts receivable	1,276	1,055
Preferred stock, par value	0.01	0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	2,000,000	2,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	0	0
Common stock, par value	0.01	0.01
Common stock, shares authorized	125,000,000	125,000,000
Common Stock | Series A: Common stock	'	'
Common stock, shares issued	20,296,814	19,931,599
Common Stock | Series B: Common stock	'	'
Common stock, shares issued	2,388,604	2,397,155
Treasury Stock	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held	695,285	495,200
Treasury Stock | Series A: Common stock	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held	695,285	495,200

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Shareholders' Equity (unaudited) (USD $)	Total	Common Stock	Common Stock	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Treasury Stock	Treasury Stock	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income/(Loss)	Accumulated Deficit	Noncontrolling Interests
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	USD ($)	USD ($)	Series A	Series B	USD ($)	USD ($)	Series A	USD ($)	USD ($)	USD ($)
							USD ($)
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	$102,060	$221	'	'	$495,528	($350)	'	($73,532)	($319,862)	$55
Beginning Balance, Shares Common Stock at Dec. 31, 2012	'	'	19,651,830	2,401,556	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held at Dec. 31, 2012	'	'	'	'	'	'	-74,130	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net Income (Loss)	-6,960	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	-6,841	-119
Other comprehensive income (loss)	491	'	'	'	'	'	'	491	'	'
Noncontrolling Interest, Increase from Subsidiary Equity Issuance	193	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	193
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	'	'	'	'	'	'	-234,031	'	'	'
Treasury stock purchases	-1,364	'	'	'	'	-1,364	-1,364	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for restricted stock units, shares	'	'	247,863	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for restricted stock units	0	2	'	'	-2	'	'	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for stock option exercises, shares	'	'	11,820	0	'	'	'	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for stock option exercises	55	0	'	'	55	'	'	'	'	'
Income tax benefit on options and RSUs	-34	'	'	'	-34	'	'	'	'	'
Share-based compensation	938	'	'	'	938	'	'	'	'	'
Conversion of Series B to Series A, shares	'	'	1,256	-1,256	'	'	'	'	'	'
Conversion of Series B to Series A	0	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Dividends	-2,735	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	-2,735	'
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2013	92,644	223	'	'	496,485	-1,714	'	-73,041	-329,438	129
Ending Balance, Shares Common Stock at Jun. 30, 2013	'	'	19,912,769	2,400,300	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held at Jun. 30, 2013	'	'	'	'	'	'	-308,161	'	'	'
Beginning Balance at Mar. 31, 2013	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net Income (Loss)	1,116	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Other comprehensive income (loss)	246	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	'	'	'	'	'	'	-121,982	'	'	'
Treasury stock purchases	'	'	'	'	'	'	-767	'	'	'
Dividends	-1,368	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2013	92,644	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held at Jun. 30, 2013	'	'	'	'	'	'	-308,161	'	'	'
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2013	168,776	223	'	'	496,682	-3,113	'	-15,093	-310,099	176
Beginning Balance, Shares Common Stock at Dec. 31, 2013	'	'	19,931,599	2,397,155	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held at Dec. 31, 2013	'	'	'	'	'	-495,200	-495,200	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net Income (Loss)	17,913	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	17,943	-30
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-347	'	'	'	'	'	'	-347	'	'
Noncontrolling Interest, Increase from Subsidiary Equity Issuance	182	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	182
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	'	'	'	'	'	'	-200,085	'	'	'
Treasury stock purchases	-2,118	'	'	'	'	-2,118	-2,118	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for restricted stock units, shares	'	'	205,352	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for restricted stock units	0	2	'	'	-2	'	'	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for stock option exercises, shares	151,312	'	151,312	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Issuance of shares for stock option exercises	734	2	'	'	732	'	'	'	'	'
Income tax benefit on options and RSUs	844	'	'	'	844	'	'	'	'	'
Share-based compensation	634	'	'	'	634	'	'	'	'	'
Conversion of Series B to Series A, shares	'	'	8,551	-8,551	'	'	'	'	'	'
Conversion of Series B to Series A	0	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Dividends	-37,429	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	-37,429	'
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2014	149,189	227	'	'	498,890	-5,231	'	-15,440	-329,585	328
Ending Balance, Shares Common Stock at Jun. 30, 2014	'	'	20,296,814	2,388,604	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held at Jun. 30, 2014	'	'	'	'	'	-695,285	-695,285	'	'	'
Beginning Balance at Mar. 31, 2014	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Net Income (Loss)	21,956	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Other comprehensive income (loss)	-174	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Shares, Acquired	'	'	'	'	'	'	-124,857	'	'	'
Treasury stock purchases	'	'	'	'	'	'	-1,443	'	'	'
Dividends	-35,624	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2014	$149,189	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'	'
Treasury Stock, Number of Shares Held at Jun. 30, 2014	'	'	'	'	'	'	-695,285	'	'	'

Condensed_Consolidated_Stateme3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Operating Activities	'	'
Net Income (Loss)	$17,913	($6,960)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash provided by operations:	'	'
Net (income) loss from discontinued operations	-3,052	3,156
Depreciation and amortization	6,818	7,903
Net periodic benefit and contributions related to employee benefit plans	-6,260	-5,858
Share-based compensation	592	803
Deferred income taxes	933	259
Equity method investment gains	19,065	1,095
Loss on investment related activity, net	934	0
Write-off of unamortized debt issuance costs	0	401
Other operating activities	-566	185
Changes in working capital and other operating assets and liabilities, net	-3,546	3,093
Net cash (used for) provided by continuing operations	-5,299	1,887
Net cash provided by discontinued operations	8,260	4,936
Net cash provided by operating activities	2,961	6,823
Investing Activities	'	'
Capital expenditures, net	-2,717	-2,283
Purchase of investments	-2,098	-1,377
Investment distribution proceeds	18,861	0
Net cash provided by (used for) continuing investing activities	14,046	-3,660
Net cash used for discontinued investing activities	-633	-489
Net cash provided by (used for investing) activities	13,413	-4,149
Financing Activities	'	'
Dividends paid	-37,429	-2,735
Proceeds from exercise of stock options	734	55
Purchase of treasury stock	-2,118	-1,364
Capital contributions by noncontrolling interests	0	127
Net cash used for financing activities	-38,813	-3,917
Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	-22,439	-1,243
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period	82,193	34,094
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period	$59,754	$32,851

Summary_of_Significant_Account

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	'
	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
	Description of Business.    A. H. Belo Corporation and subsidiaries (“A. H. Belo” or the “Company”), headquartered in Dallas, Texas, is a leading local news and information publishing company with commercial printing, distribution and direct mail capabilities, as well as businesses with expertise in emerging media and digital marketing. With a continued focus on extending the Company’s media platform, A. H. Belo is able to deliver news and information in innovative ways to new audiences with diverse interests and lifestyles.
	The Company publishes The Dallas Morning News (www.dallasnews.com), Texas’ leading newspaper and winner of nine Pulitzer Prizes; the Denton Record-Chronicle (www.dentonrc.com), a daily newspaper operating in Denton, Texas, and various niche publications targeting specific audiences. A. H. Belo offers digital marketing solutions through 508 Digital and Your Speakeasy, LLC and its investments include Classified Ventures, LLC, owner of cars.com, and Wanderful Media, LLC, owner of FindnSave.com.
	Basis of Presentation.    These condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of A. H. Belo and its subsidiaries and were prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation are included. Transactions between the consolidated companies are eliminated and noncontrolling interests in less than wholly-owned subsidiaries were reflected in the consolidated financial statements. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, may not be necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014. All dollar amounts are presented in thousands, except per share amounts, unless the context requires otherwise.
	In July 2014, the Company entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement to dispose of substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities which comprise the newspaper operations of The Providence Journal, a daily newspaper in Providence, Rhode Island and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States. In 2013, the Company completed the disposition of The Press‑Enterprise, a daily newspaper in Riverside, California, which serves the Inland Southern California region. As described in Note 3 – Discontinued Operations, these dispositions meet the criteria of discontinued operations as prescribed under Accounting Standards Codification 205 - Presentation of Financial Statements. Accordingly, presentation of current and prior period amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto reflect continuing operations of the Company unless otherwise noted.
	New Accounting Standards. The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) recently issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists, which generally requires an unrecognized tax benefit to be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset when a net operating loss or other tax credit carryforward exists. The assessment should be performed by taxing jurisdiction as of each reporting date. The update is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The implementation of this update did not have a material impact to the presentation of uncertain tax positions within the consolidated balance sheets.
	In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360) - Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. Under this amendment, requirements for reporting discontinued operations have changed. Discontinued operations may include disposals of a business, nonprofit activity and component of an entity upon meeting certain other criteria. Disposals representing components of an entity must reflect a strategic shift that has a major effect on the entity’s operations and financial results. Previous conditions prohibiting the entity from having significant continuing involvement in the disposal group and requiring the elimination of operations and cash flows from ongoing operations of the entity have been removed. The update is effective on a prospective basis for disposals that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods in those years. The Company has entered a definitive asset purchase agreement to dispose of substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities which comprise the newspaper operations of The Providence Journal, and this transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014. The operations of The Providence Journal are presented as a discontinued operation under the current accounting standards. The Company does not anticipate the implementation of this update to impact the presentation of discontinued operations within its financial statements.
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This guidance generally clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue and develops a common revenue standard for GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The standard outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes the most current revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The update is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods in those years. The Company is evaluating the impact of adoption and has not yet selected a transition method, but does not anticipate this update to have a material impact on its recognition and presentation of revenues within the consolidated statements of operations.

Assets_Held_for_sale

Assets Held for sale	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Assets Held-for-sale, Long Lived [Abstract]	'
Assets Held for Sale, Policy	'
	Assets Held for Sale
	Assets held for sale include long-lived assets being actively marketed for which a sale is considered probable within the next 12 months. These assets are recorded at the lower of their fair value less costs to sell or their carrying value at the time they are classified as Assets held for sale. As of June 30, 2014, the Company had entered into various agreements to sell certain buildings and land. These assets, with a total carrying value of $2,525, are reported as Assets held for sale as of June 30, 2014, as the related sales transactions have closed or are expected to close in the third quarter of 2014.

Discontinued_Operations

Discontinued Operations	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]	'
Discontinued Operations	'
	Discontinued Operations
	On July 22, 2014, The Providence Journal Company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, entered into an asset purchase agreement with LMG Rhode Island Holdings, Inc. (“LMG”), a subsidiary of New Media Investment Group Inc., for the (i) sale of substantially all of the assets comprising the newspaper operations of The Providence Journal and related real property located in Providence, Rhode Island, and (ii) assumption of certain liabilities by LMG, for $46,000 in cash (the “Purchase Price”). The Purchase Price is subject to adjustment either upward or downward based upon the net current assets being sold at the closing. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014, subject to customary closing conditions including receipt of certain third-party consents. After selling and exit costs, the Company anticipates recording a pretax gain on this transaction between $11,000 and $14,000 in the third quarter of 2014.
	Upon completion of the sale, the Company will continue to hold and market for sale certain land and buildings in Providence, Rhode Island, which currently serve as the administrative headquarters of The Providence Journal. The Company will also retain the obligation for the A. H. Belo Pension Plan II, which provides benefits to employees of The Providence Journal Company.
	In the second through fourth quarters of 2013, the Company completed multiple transactions resulting in the disposition of The Press-Enterprise, including the sale of the newspaper operations, the production facility and related land, to Freedom Communications, Inc. (“Freedom Communications”) under a definitive asset purchase agreement. Upon completion of the divestiture, the Company no longer owns newspaper operations in Riverside, California. The disposition and the results of operations associated with The Press-Enterprise are reported as discontinued operations in the Company’s financial statements.
	As a result of the above pending and completed transactions, the activity and balances of The Providence Journal and The Press-Enterprise as of June 30, 2014, are presented as discontinued operations. Major components of these amounts presented as discontinued operations in the condensed consolidated financial statements are set forth below.
		Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Income (loss) from discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal
	Revenue	$	22,318		$	22,073		$	43,512		$	42,706
	Costs and expense	(20,172		)	(21,169		)	(40,389		)	(42,440		)
		2,146			904			3,123			266
	The Press-Enterprise
	Revenue	—			13,317			—			25,849
	Costs and expense	—			(14,673		)	—			(29,404		)
		—			(1,356		)	—			(3,555		)
	Income (loss) from discontinued operations	2,146			(452		)	3,123			(3,289		)
	Gain (loss) related to the divestiture of discontinued operations
	Gain (loss) on sale of The Press-Enterprise	153			—			(25		)	—
		153			—			(25		)	—
	Tax expense (benefit) from discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal	30			(44		)	46			(97		)
	The Press-Enterprise	—			(19		)	—			(36		)
		30			(63		)	46			(133		)
	Gain (loss) from discontinued operations	$	2,269		$	(389	)	$	3,052		$	(3,156	)
		June 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Assets of discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal
	Current assets	$	12,135		$	13,343
	Property, plant and equipment, net	21,573			22,249
	Other assets	2,950			5,491
	Total	36,658			41,083
	The Press-Enterprise
	Current assets	—			1,633
	Total	—			1,633
	Total assets of discontinued operations	$	36,658		$	42,716
	Liabilities of discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal
	Accrued expenses	$	5,152		$	5,168
	Deferred revenue	4,337			4,342
	Total	9,489			9,510
	The Press-Enterprise
	Accrued expenses	—			2,028
	Total	—			2,028
	Total liabilities of discontinued operations	$	9,489		$	11,538

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	'
	Goodwill and Intangible Assets
	The Company records goodwill and intangible assets from its previous acquisitions. The carrying value of goodwill was $24,582 as of June 30, 2014 and December 31, 2013.
	As of June 30, 2014 and 2013, the carrying value of customer relationships amortized over an estimated useful life of three years, is set forth in the table below.
		June 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Gross intangible assets	$	735		$	362
	Accumulated amortization	(181		)	(121		)
	Net balance	$	554		$	241

Investments

Investments	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Investments [Abstract]	'
Investments	'
	Investments
	The Company owns investment interests in various entities which are recorded under the equity method or cost method of accounting, or consolidated if the Company holds a controlling financial interest. Under the equity method, the Company records its share of the investee’s earnings or losses each period in the consolidated statements of operations. Under the cost method, the Company records earnings or losses when such amounts are realized. The carrying value of equity method and cost method investments is set forth in the table below.
		June 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Equity method investments	$	7,579		$	6,401
	Cost method investments	932			932
	Total investments	$	8,511		$	7,333
	Equity method investments. Investments recorded under the equity method of accounting include the following:
	Classified Ventures, LLC – The Company owns a 3.3 percent interest in Classified Ventures, in which the other owners are Gannett Co., Inc., The McClatchy Company, Tribune Company and Graham Holdings Company. The principal business operations of Classified Ventures is cars.com.
	Wanderful Media, LLC – The Company owns a 13.0 percent interest in Wanderful, which operates FindnSave.com, a digital shopping platform where consumers can find national and local retail goods and services for sale. This platform combines local media participation with advanced search and database technology to allow consumers to view local advertised offers and online sales circulars or search for an item and receive a list of local advertisers and the price and terms offered for the searched item.
	Net gains (losses) on equity method investments were $18,567 and $546 for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $18,159 and $1,095 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively.  Gains in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, included an $18,532 gain related to Classified Ventures’ sale of apartments.com, offset by a first quarter impairment charge of $934 related to the Company's investment in Wanderful Media. The Company determined that an other-than-temporary decline occurred in the value of the investment after evaluating the estimated fair value of the investee as determined by an independent valuation specialist. The Company attributes the impairment primarily to a decline in business related to Wanderful Media’s legacy products. The Company believes the carrying value of this investment as of June 30, 2014, is recoverable based on the investment’s future business prospects and an additional contribution of $1,909 was made in the second quarter of 2014.
	Summarized financial information provided for equity method investments determined to be significant to the Company’s operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, is set forth in the table below.
		Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Classified Ventures
	Revenue	$	115,233		$	101,293		$	227,935		$	198,620
	Gross Profit	103,483			91,966			203,775			180,198
	Net Income from Continuing Operations	10,782			18,411			29,856			31,440
	Net Income	574,774			26,773			600,337			50,837
	Wanderful Media
	Revenue	$	1,208		$	1,340		$	2,349		$	2,673
	Gross Profit	975			1,094			1,885			2,129
	Net Loss	(2,284		)	(2,191		)	(4,791		)	(4,505		)

Longterm_Incentive_Plans

Long-term Incentive Plans	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, share-based Payments	'
	Long-term Incentive Plans
	A. H. Belo sponsors a long-term incentive plan under which 8,000,000 common shares are authorized for equity based awards. Awards under the plan may be granted to A. H. Belo employees and outside directors in the form of non-qualified stock options, incentive stock options, restricted shares, restricted stock units (“RSUs”), performance shares, performance units or stock appreciation rights. In addition, stock options may be accompanied by full and limited stock appreciation rights. Rights and limited stock appreciation rights may also be issued without accompanying stock options.
	Stock Options.    The table below sets forth a summary of stock option activity under the A. H. Belo long-term incentive plan.
		Number of		Weighted-Average
		Options		Exercise Price
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013	910,533		$	15.29
	Exercised	(151,312	)	4.85
	Canceled	(29,868	)	26.34
	Outstanding at June 30, 2014	729,353		$	17
	Vested and exercisable at June 30, 2014	729,353		$	17
	The vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual term of A. H. Belo stock options outstanding as of June 30, 2014, was 2.1 years. The expense associated with all outstanding options was fully recognized in prior years.
	Restricted Stock Units. Under A. H. Belo’s long-term incentive plan, the Company’s board of directors periodically awards RSUs. The RSUs have service and/or performance conditions and vest over a period up to three years. Upon vesting, the RSUs are redeemed 60 percent in A. H. Belo Series A common stock and 40 percent in cash. As of June 30, 2014, the liability for the portion of the award to be redeemed in cash was $1,957. The table below sets forth a summary of RSU activity under the A. H. Belo long-term incentive plan.
		Total		Issuance of			RSUs		Cash		Weighted-
		RSUs		Common			Redeemed in		Payments at		Average Price
				Stock			Cash		Closing Price		on Date of
									of Stock		Grant
	Non-vested at December 31, 2013	728,818									$	5.59
	Granted	123,232									11.85
	Vested	(342,274	)	205,352			136,922		$	1,450	6.07
	Non-vested at June 30, 2014	509,776									$	6.78
	A. H. Belo recognizes compensation expense for RSUs issued to its employees and directors under its long-term incentive plan on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the award, as set forth in the table below.
		RSUs Redeemable in Stock			RSUs Redeemable in Cash			Total RSU Awards Expense
	Three months ended June 30,
	2014	$	105		$	150		$	255
	2013	123			310			433
	Six months ended June 30,
	2014	$	592		$	1,333		$	1,925
	2013	803			1,004			1,807

Longterm_Debt

Long-term Debt	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Long-term Debt	'
	Long-term Debt
	In January 2013, the Company voluntarily terminated its credit agreement as cash flows from operations were sufficient to meet liquidity requirements and the credit agreement had not been drawn upon since 2009. All liens and security interests under the credit agreement were released and no early termination penalties were incurred by the Company as a result of the termination. Unamortized debt issuance costs of $401 were recorded to interest expense during the six months ended June 30, 2013, as a result of the termination.

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	Income Taxes
	Income taxes are recorded using the asset and liability method. The provision for taxes reflects the Company’s estimate of the effective rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year, adjusted for any discrete transactions which are reported in the period in which they occur. The estimated effective tax rate is re-evaluated each quarter based on the Company’s estimated tax expense for the year.
	The Company recognized income tax expense from continuing operations of $1,428 and $500 for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $2,319 and $989 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Tax expense represents effective income tax rates from continuing operations of 6.8 percent percent and 24.9 percent, for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and 13.5 percent and (35.1) percent for the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. Tax expense for 2014 and 2013 was primarily attributable to state income tax expense and changes in the valuation allowance on deferred taxes.
	The Company currently projects taxable income for the year ending December 31, 2014, for federal income tax purposes and in certain state income tax jurisdictions. The Company has net operating losses that can be carried forward to offset future taxable income. The Company’s net operating loss carryforwards begin to expire in 2016 if not utilized.

Pension_and_Other_Retirement_P

Pension and Other Retirement Plans	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Pension and Other Retirement Plans	'
	Pension and Other Retirement Plans
	Defined Benefit Plans. The Company sponsors two defined benefit pension plans, A. H. Belo Pension Plans I and II (collectively the “A. H. Belo Pension Plans”). A. H. Belo Pension Plan I provides benefits to certain employees primarily employed with The Dallas Morning News or the A. H. Belo corporate offices. A. H. Belo Pension Plan II provides benefits to certain employees at The Providence Journal. This pension obligation will be retained by the Company upon the sale of the newspaper operations of The Providence Journal.
	The Company made required contributions of $2,186 and $1,940 during the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, and $4,126 and $2,336 during the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively, to the A. H. Belo Pension Plans. In July 2014, the Company accelerated payment of its remaining 2014 required contributions and paid approximately $5,801. No further contributions are required in 2014, as the Company met minimum funding requirements for the year.
	Net Periodic Pension Benefit
	The Company estimates net periodic pension expense or benefit based on the expected return on plan assets, the interest on projected pension obligations and the amortization of actuarial gains and losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss, if required. The table below sets forth components of net periodic pension benefit.
		Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Interest cost	$	4,330		$	3,999		$	8,660		$	7,998
	Expected return on plans' assets	(5,215		)	(4,891		)	(10,430		)	(9,782		)
	Amortization of actuarial loss	—			426			—			851
	Net periodic pension benefit	$	(885	)	$	(466	)	$	(1,770	)	$	(933	)
	Defined Contribution Plans. The A. H. Belo Savings Plan (“Savings Plan”), a defined contribution 401(k) plan, covers substantially all employees of A. H. Belo. The Company provides an ongoing dollar-for-dollar match of eligible employee contributions, up to 1.5 percent of the employees’ compensation on a per-pay-period basis. During the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded expense of $268 and $258, respectively, and during the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded expense of $521 and $515, respectively, for matching contributions to this plan.
	The Company sponsored the A. H. Belo Pension Transition Supplement Plan (“PTS Plan”), a defined contribution plan, which covered certain employees affected by the curtailment of a defined benefit plan sponsored by the former parent company.  The Company was obligated to make contributions to this plan based on the earnings of actively employed participants for a period of five years, which concluded on March 31, 2013. Contributions of $1,090 paid in the second quarter of 2013 represent benefits accrued through March 31, 2013. The Company made contributions of $2,826 in the six months ended June 30, 2013. No further obligations exist under this Plan. As a result of fulfilling its obligations to the PTS Plan and in order to achieve efficient administration of the Company's defined contribution plans, the PTS Plan was merged into the A. H. Belo Savings Plan on July 1, 2013. Accordingly, individual participant account balances within the PTS Plan were transferred to their respective accounts in the A. H. Belo Savings Plan and the PTS Plan has ceased to exist as a stand-alone benefit plan of the Company.

Shareholders_Equity

Shareholders' Equity	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Shareholders' Equity	'
	Shareholders’ Equity
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss. Accumulated other comprehensive loss contains actuarial gains and losses associated with the A. H. Belo Pension Plans and gains and losses resulting from negative plan amendments and other actuarial experience related to other post-employment benefit plans. The Company records amortization of accumulated other comprehensive loss in employee compensation and benefits in its consolidated statements of operations. Gains and losses associated with the A. H. Belo Pension Plans are amortized over the weighted average remaining life expectancy of the participants. Gains and losses associated with the Company’s other post-employment benefit plans are amortized over the average remaining service period of active plan participants. The net deferred tax assets associated with accumulated other comprehensive loss are fully reserved.
	In 2014, the Company did not amortize actuarial losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss associated with the Company’s pension plans as the balance of these losses as of December 31, 2013, no longer fell outside the corridor requiring amortization. The tables below set forth the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes.
		Three Months Ended June 30,
		2014									2013
		Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans			Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans
	Balance, beginning of period	$	(15,266	)	$	(16,059	)	$	793		$	(73,287	)	$	(74,507	)	$	1,220
	Amortization	(174		)	—			(174		)	246			426			(180		)
	Balance, end of period	$	(15,440	)	$	(16,059	)	$	619		$	(73,041	)	$	(74,081	)	$	1,040
		Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014									2013
		Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans			Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans
	Balance, beginning of period	$	(15,093	)	$	(16,059	)	$	966		$	(73,532	)	$	(74,932	)	$	1,400
	Amortization	(347		)	—			(347		)	491			851			(360		)
	Balance, end of period	$	(15,440	)	$	(16,059	)	$	619		$	(73,041	)	$	(74,081	)	$	1,040
	Dividends. During the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company recorded and paid dividends of $35,624 and $1,368, respectively. During the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013 , the Company recorded and paid dividends of $37,429 and $2,735, respectively. Dividends paid in the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, include a special dividend of $1.50 per share totaling $33,819.
	On May 15, 2014, the Company announced a quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share to shareholders of record and holders of RSUs as of the close of business on August 15, 2014, payable on September 5, 2014.
	Treasury Stock. The Company’s board of directors has authorized a share repurchase program for the purchase of up to 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s Series A or Series B common stock through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or otherwise. During the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company purchased 124,857 and 121,982 shares of Series A common stock for $1,443 and $767, respectively. During the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the Company purchased 200,085 and 234,031 shares of the Company's Series A common stock for $2,118 and $1,364, respectively. All purchases were made through open market transactions and were recorded as treasury stock.

Earnings_Per_Share

Earnings Per Share	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Earnings Per Share	'
	Earnings Per Share
	The table below sets forth the reconciliations for net loss and weighted average shares used for calculating basic and diluted earnings per share. The Company’s Series A and B common stock equally share in the distributed and undistributed earnings.
		Three Months Ended June 30,					Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014		2013			2014		2013
	Earnings (numerator)
	Net income (loss) attributable to A. H. Belo Corporation	$	21,980	$	1,181		$	17,943	$	(6,841	)
	Less: Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net	2,269		(389		)	3,052		(3,156		)
	Less: Income to participating securities	811		44			869		93
	Net income (loss) available to common shareholders from continuing operations	$	18,900	$	1,526		$	14,022	$	(3,778	)
	Shares (denominator)
	Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic)	22,014,125		22,041,414			21,946,256		22,037,132
	Effect of dilutive securities	107,570		93,748			118,083		—
	Adjusted weighted average shares outstanding (diluted)	22,121,695		22,135,162			22,064,339		22,037,132
	Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations
	Basic	$	0.86	$	0.07		$	0.64	$	(0.17	)
	Diluted	$	0.85	$	0.07		$	0.64	$	(0.17	)
	The Company considers outstanding stock options and RSUs in the calculation of its earnings per share. A total of 995,709 options and RSUs outstanding during the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, and 1,731,290 and 1,902,642 options and RSUs outstanding during the three and six months ended June 30, 2013, respectively, were excluded from the calculation because either they did not affect the earnings per share for common shareholders or the effect was anti-dilutive.

Contingencies

Contingencies	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Contingencies	'
	Contingencies
	A number of legal proceedings are pending against A. H. Belo. In the opinion of management, liabilities, if any, arising from these legal proceedings would not have a material adverse effect on A. H. Belo’s results of operations, liquidity or financial condition.

Subsequent_Events

Subsequent Events	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Subsequent Events [Abstract]	'
Subsequent Events [Text Block]	'
	Subsequent Events
	As discussed in Note 3 – Discontinued Operations, in July 2014, the Company entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement to sell substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities which comprise the newspaper operations of The Providence Journal. As a result of this pending transaction, the results of operations associated with The Providence Journal are reported as discontinued operations in the Company’s financial statements.
	In July 2014, the Company sold its last remaining real estate in Riverside, California, comprised of land and a building that formerly served as a commercial printing operation. Net sales proceeds of $1,607 were received in the third quarter of 2014, upon the closing of the transaction, generating a gain of approximately $250.
	In June 2014, the Company settled a lawsuit regarding a dispute over commercial printing related to its former printing operation in southern California. Under the settlement agreement, the Company will receive two cash payments totaling $500, of which the first payment of $250 was received in July 2014.

Summary_of_Significant_Account1

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Accounting Policies [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation, Policy	'
	These condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of A. H. Belo and its subsidiaries and were prepared in accordance with United States Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and in accordance with the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. Actual results could differ from those estimates. In the opinion of management, all adjustments considered necessary for a fair presentation are included. Transactions between the consolidated companies are eliminated and noncontrolling interests in less than wholly-owned subsidiaries were reflected in the consolidated financial statements. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014, may not be necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2014. All dollar amounts are presented in thousands, except per share amounts, unless the context requires otherwise.
	In July 2014, the Company entered into a definitive asset purchase agreement to dispose of substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities which comprise the newspaper operations of The Providence Journal, a daily newspaper in Providence, Rhode Island and the oldest continuously-published daily newspaper in the United States. In 2013, the Company completed the disposition of The Press‑Enterprise, a daily newspaper in Riverside, California, which serves the Inland Southern California region. As described in Note 3 – Discontinued Operations, these dispositions meet the criteria of discontinued operations as prescribed under Accounting Standards Codification 205 - Presentation of Financial Statements. Accordingly, presentation of current and prior period amounts in the condensed consolidated financial statements and notes thereto reflect continuing operations of the Company unless otherwise noted.
New Accounting Pronouncements, Policy	'
	The Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) recently issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) No. 2013-11, Income Taxes (Topic 740): Presentation of an Unrecognized Tax Benefit When a Net Operating Loss Carryforward, a Similar Tax Loss, or a Tax Credit Carryforward Exists, which generally requires an unrecognized tax benefit to be presented in the financial statements as a reduction to a deferred tax asset when a net operating loss or other tax credit carryforward exists. The assessment should be performed by taxing jurisdiction as of each reporting date. The update is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2013. The implementation of this update did not have a material impact to the presentation of uncertain tax positions within the consolidated balance sheets.
	In April 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-08, Presentation of Financial Statements (Topic 205) and Property, Plant, and Equipment (Topic 360) - Reporting Discontinued Operations and Disclosures of Disposals of Components of an Entity. Under this amendment, requirements for reporting discontinued operations have changed. Discontinued operations may include disposals of a business, nonprofit activity and component of an entity upon meeting certain other criteria. Disposals representing components of an entity must reflect a strategic shift that has a major effect on the entity’s operations and financial results. Previous conditions prohibiting the entity from having significant continuing involvement in the disposal group and requiring the elimination of operations and cash flows from ongoing operations of the entity have been removed. The update is effective on a prospective basis for disposals that occur within annual periods beginning on or after December 15, 2014, and interim periods in those years. The Company has entered a definitive asset purchase agreement to dispose of substantially all of the assets and certain liabilities which comprise the newspaper operations of The Providence Journal, and this transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2014. The operations of The Providence Journal are presented as a discontinued operation under the current accounting standards. The Company does not anticipate the implementation of this update to impact the presentation of discontinued operations within its financial statements.
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606). This guidance generally clarifies the principles for recognizing revenue and develops a common revenue standard for GAAP and International Financial Reporting Standards. The standard outlines a single comprehensive model for entities to use in accounting for revenue arising from contracts with customers and supersedes the most current revenue recognition guidance. The core principle of the guidance is that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. The update is effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2016, and interim periods in those years. The Company is evaluating the impact of adoption and has not yet selected a transition method, but does not anticipate this update to have a material impact on its recognition and presentation of revenues within the consolidated statements of operations.
Assets Held-for-sale, Policy	'
	Assets held for sale include long-lived assets being actively marketed for which a sale is considered probable within the next 12 months. These assets are recorded at the lower of their fair value less costs to sell or their carrying value at the time they are classified as Assets held for sale.
Investment, Policy	'
	The Company owns investment interests in various entities which are recorded under the equity method or cost method of accounting, or consolidated if the Company holds a controlling financial interest. Under the equity method, the Company records its share of the investee’s earnings or losses each period in the consolidated statements of operations. Under the cost method, the Company records earnings or losses when such amounts are realized.
Income Tax, Policy	'
	Income taxes are recorded using the asset and liability method. The provision for taxes reflects the Company’s estimate of the effective rate expected to be applicable for the full fiscal year, adjusted for any discrete transactions which are reported in the period in which they occur. The estimated effective tax rate is re-evaluated each quarter based on the Company’s estimated tax expense for the year.
Pension and Other Postretirement Plans, Policy	'
	The Company estimates net periodic pension expense or benefit based on the expected return on plan assets, the interest on projected pension obligations and the amortization of actuarial gains and losses in accumulated other comprehensive loss, if required.
Stockholders' Equity, Policy	'
	Accumulated other comprehensive loss contains actuarial gains and losses associated with the A. H. Belo Pension Plans and gains and losses resulting from negative plan amendments and other actuarial experience related to other post-employment benefit plans. The Company records amortization of accumulated other comprehensive loss in employee compensation and benefits in its consolidated statements of operations. Gains and losses associated with the A. H. Belo Pension Plans are amortized over the weighted average remaining life expectancy of the participants. Gains and losses associated with the Company’s other post-employment benefit plans are amortized over the average remaining service period of active plan participants. The net deferred tax assets associated with accumulated other comprehensive loss are fully reserved.

Discontinued_Operations_Financ

Discontinued Operations (Financial Statements of Discontinued Operations) (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]	'
Schedule of Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations, Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures [Table Text Block]	'
	Major components of these amounts presented as discontinued operations in the condensed consolidated financial statements are set forth below.
		Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Income (loss) from discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal
	Revenue	$	22,318		$	22,073		$	43,512		$	42,706
	Costs and expense	(20,172		)	(21,169		)	(40,389		)	(42,440		)
		2,146			904			3,123			266
	The Press-Enterprise
	Revenue	—			13,317			—			25,849
	Costs and expense	—			(14,673		)	—			(29,404		)
		—			(1,356		)	—			(3,555		)
	Income (loss) from discontinued operations	2,146			(452		)	3,123			(3,289		)
	Gain (loss) related to the divestiture of discontinued operations
	Gain (loss) on sale of The Press-Enterprise	153			—			(25		)	—
		153			—			(25		)	—
	Tax expense (benefit) from discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal	30			(44		)	46			(97		)
	The Press-Enterprise	—			(19		)	—			(36		)
		30			(63		)	46			(133		)
	Gain (loss) from discontinued operations	$	2,269		$	(389	)	$	3,052		$	(3,156	)
		June 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Assets of discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal
	Current assets	$	12,135		$	13,343
	Property, plant and equipment, net	21,573			22,249
	Other assets	2,950			5,491
	Total	36,658			41,083
	The Press-Enterprise
	Current assets	—			1,633
	Total	—			1,633
	Total assets of discontinued operations	$	36,658		$	42,716
	Liabilities of discontinued operations
	The Providence Journal
	Accrued expenses	$	5,152		$	5,168
	Deferred revenue	4,337			4,342
	Total	9,489			9,510
	The Press-Enterprise
	Accrued expenses	—			2,028
	Total	—			2,028
	Total liabilities of discontinued operations	$	9,489		$	11,538

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets1

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Company's Identifiable Intangible Assets	'
	As of June 30, 2014 and 2013, the carrying value of customer relationships amortized over an estimated useful life of three years, is set forth in the table below.
		June 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Gross intangible assets	$	735		$	362
	Accumulated amortization	(181		)	(121		)
	Net balance	$	554		$	241

Investments_Tables

Investments (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Investments [Abstract]	'
Company's investments	'
	The carrying value of equity method and cost method investments is set forth in the table below.
		June 30,			December 31,
		2014			2013
	Equity method investments	$	7,579		$	6,401
	Cost method investments	932			932
	Total investments	$	8,511		$	7,333
Equity Method Investment Summarized Financial Information	'
	Summarized financial information provided for equity method investments determined to be significant to the Company’s operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, is set forth in the table below.
		Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Classified Ventures
	Revenue	$	115,233		$	101,293		$	227,935		$	198,620
	Gross Profit	103,483			91,966			203,775			180,198
	Net Income from Continuing Operations	10,782			18,411			29,856			31,440
	Net Income	574,774			26,773			600,337			50,837
	Wanderful Media
	Revenue	$	1,208		$	1,340		$	2,349		$	2,673
	Gross Profit	975			1,094			1,885			2,129
	Net Loss	(2,284		)	(2,191		)	(4,791		)	(4,505		)

Longterm_Incentive_Plans_Table

Long-term Incentive Plans (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Disclosure of Compensation Related Costs, Share-based Payments [Abstract]	'
Stock option activity	'
	The table below sets forth a summary of stock option activity under the A. H. Belo long-term incentive plan.
		Number of		Weighted-Average
		Options		Exercise Price
	Outstanding at December 31, 2013	910,533		$	15.29
	Exercised	(151,312	)	4.85
	Canceled	(29,868	)	26.34
	Outstanding at June 30, 2014	729,353		$	17
	Vested and exercisable at June 30, 2014	729,353		$	17
RSU activity	'
	The table below sets forth a summary of RSU activity under the A. H. Belo long-term incentive plan.
		Total		Issuance of			RSUs		Cash		Weighted-
		RSUs		Common			Redeemed in		Payments at		Average Price
				Stock			Cash		Closing Price		on Date of
									of Stock		Grant
	Non-vested at December 31, 2013	728,818									$	5.59
	Granted	123,232									11.85
	Vested	(342,274	)	205,352			136,922		$	1,450	6.07
	Non-vested at June 30, 2014	509,776									$	6.78
Compensation expense related to RSU awards	'
	A. H. Belo recognizes compensation expense for RSUs issued to its employees and directors under its long-term incentive plan on a straight-line basis over the vesting period of the award, as set forth in the table below.
		RSUs Redeemable in Stock			RSUs Redeemable in Cash			Total RSU Awards Expense
	Three months ended June 30,
	2014	$	105		$	150		$	255
	2013	123			310			433
	Six months ended June 30,
	2014	$	592		$	1,333		$	1,925
	2013	803			1,004			1,807

Pension_and_Other_Retirement_P1

Pension and Other Retirement Plans (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Compensation and Retirement Disclosure [Abstract]	'
Net periodic pension expense (benefit)	'
	The table below sets forth components of net periodic pension benefit.
		Three Months Ended June 30,						Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014			2013			2014			2013
	Interest cost	$	4,330		$	3,999		$	8,660		$	7,998
	Expected return on plans' assets	(5,215		)	(4,891		)	(10,430		)	(9,782		)
	Amortization of actuarial loss	—			426			—			851
	Net periodic pension benefit	$	(885	)	$	(466	)	$	(1,770	)	$	(933	)

Shareholders_Equity_Tables

Shareholders' Equity (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Equity [Abstract]	'
Changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss	'
	The tables below set forth the changes in accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of taxes.
		Three Months Ended June 30,
		2014									2013
		Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans			Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans
	Balance, beginning of period	$	(15,266	)	$	(16,059	)	$	793		$	(73,287	)	$	(74,507	)	$	1,220
	Amortization	(174		)	—			(174		)	246			426			(180		)
	Balance, end of period	$	(15,440	)	$	(16,059	)	$	619		$	(73,041	)	$	(74,081	)	$	1,040
		Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014									2013
		Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans			Total			Defined benefit pension plans			Other post-employment benefit plans
	Balance, beginning of period	$	(15,093	)	$	(16,059	)	$	966		$	(73,532	)	$	(74,932	)	$	1,400
	Amortization	(347		)	—			(347		)	491			851			(360		)
	Balance, end of period	$	(15,440	)	$	(16,059	)	$	619		$	(73,041	)	$	(74,081	)	$	1,040

Earnings_Per_Share_Tables

Earnings Per Share (Tables)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'
Weighted average shares used for calculating basic and diluted earnings per share	'
	The table below sets forth the reconciliations for net loss and weighted average shares used for calculating basic and diluted earnings per share. The Company’s Series A and B common stock equally share in the distributed and undistributed earnings.
		Three Months Ended June 30,					Six Months Ended June 30,
		2014		2013			2014		2013
	Earnings (numerator)
	Net income (loss) attributable to A. H. Belo Corporation	$	21,980	$	1,181		$	17,943	$	(6,841	)
	Less: Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net	2,269		(389		)	3,052		(3,156		)
	Less: Income to participating securities	811		44			869		93
	Net income (loss) available to common shareholders from continuing operations	$	18,900	$	1,526		$	14,022	$	(3,778	)
	Shares (denominator)
	Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic)	22,014,125		22,041,414			21,946,256		22,037,132
	Effect of dilutive securities	107,570		93,748			118,083		—
	Adjusted weighted average shares outstanding (diluted)	22,121,695		22,135,162			22,064,339		22,037,132
	Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations
	Basic	$	0.86	$	0.07		$	0.64	$	(0.17	)
	Diluted	$	0.85	$	0.07		$	0.64	$	(0.17	)

Assets_Held_for_Sale_Narrative

Assets Held for Sale (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Assets Held-for-sale, Long Lived [Abstract]	'	'
Assets held for sale	$2,525	$0

Discontinued_Operations_Narrat

Discontinued Operations (Narrative) (Details) (Providence Journal, USD $)	6 Months Ended		0 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2014	Jul. 22, 2014
	Minimum	Maximum	Newspaper Sale
Significant Acquisitions and Disposals [Line Items]	'	'	'
Anticipated Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses	'	'	$46,000
Anticipated Gain (Loss) from Disposal of Discontinued Operation, before Income Tax	$11,000	$14,000	'

Discontinued_Operations_Dispos

Discontinued Operations (Disposal Groups) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2013
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	$2,146	($452)	$3,123	($3,289)	'
Gain (loss) related to the divestiture of discontinued operations, net	153	0	-25	0	'
Tax expense (benefit) from discontinued operations	30	-63	46	-133	'
Less: Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net	2,269	-389	3,052	-3,156	'
Assets of discontinued operations	36,658	'	36,658	'	42,716
Liabilities of discontinued operations	9,489	'	9,489	'	11,538
Providence Journal	'	'	'	'	'
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Revenue	22,318	22,073	43,512	42,706	'
Costs and expense	-20,172	-21,169	-40,389	-42,440	'
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	2,146	904	3,123	266	'
Tax expense (benefit) from discontinued operations	30	-44	46	-97	'
Current assets	12,135	'	12,135	'	13,343
Property, plant, and equipment, net	21,573	'	21,573	'	22,249
Other assets	2,950	'	2,950	'	5,491
Assets of discontinued operations	36,658	'	36,658	'	41,083
Accrued expenses	5,152	'	5,152	'	5,168
Deferred revenue	4,337	'	4,337	'	4,342
Liabilities of discontinued operations	9,489	'	9,489	'	9,510
Press Enterprise [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]	'	'	'	'	'
Revenue	0	13,317	0	25,849	'
Costs and expense	0	-14,673	0	-29,404	'
Income (loss) from discontinued operations	0	-1,356	0	-3,555	'
Gain (loss) related to the divestiture of discontinued operations, net	153	0	-25	0	'
Tax expense (benefit) from discontinued operations	0	-19	0	-36	'
Current assets	0	'	0	'	1,633
Assets of discontinued operations	0	'	0	'	1,633
Accrued expenses	0	'	0	'	2,028
Liabilities of discontinued operations	$0	'	$0	'	$2,028

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangibles

Goodwill and Other Intangibles (Schedule of identifiable intangible assets) (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Gross intangible assets	$735	$362
Accumulated amortization	-181	-121
Net balance	$554	$241

Goodwill_and_Intangible_Assets2

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'
Carrying value of goodwill	$24,582	$24,582
Customer Relationships, Useful Life	'3 years	'

Investments_Schedule_of_invest

Investments (Schedule of investments) (Details) (USD $)	Jun. 30, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Investments [Abstract]	'	'
Equity method investments	$7,579	$6,401
Cost method investments	932	932
Total investments	$8,511	$7,333

Investments_Narrative_Details

Investments (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Investments	'	'	'	'
Gains (losses) on equity method investments	$18,567	$546	$18,159	$1,095
Payments to Acquire Other Investments	'	'	2,098	1,377
Classified Ventures	'	'	'	'
Investments	'	'	'	'
Equity method - A. H. Belo ownership percentage of investments	3.30%	'	3.30%	'
Gains (losses) on equity method investments	'	'	18,532	'
Wanderful	'	'	'	'
Investments	'	'	'	'
Equity method - A. H. Belo ownership percentage of investments	13.00%	'	13.00%	'
Impairment charge	0	'	934	'
Payments to Acquire Other Investments	$0	'	$1,909	'

Equity_Method_Investments_Sche

Equity Method Investments (Schedule of summarized financial information) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Classified Ventures	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Equity Method Investments	'	'	'	'
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Revenue	$115,233	$101,293	$227,935	$198,620
Equity Method Investment Summarized Financial Information, Gross Profit	103,483	91,966	203,775	180,198
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations before Extraordinary Items	10,782	18,411	29,856	31,440
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Net Income (Loss)	574,774	26,773	600,337	50,837
Wanderful	'	'	'	'
Schedule of Equity Method Investments	'	'	'	'
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Revenue	1,208	1,340	2,349	2,673
Equity Method Investment Summarized Financial Information, Gross Profit	975	1,094	1,885	2,129
Equity Method Investment, Summarized Financial Information, Net Income (Loss)	($2,284)	($2,191)	($4,791)	($4,505)

Longterm_Incentive_Plans_Sched

Long-term Incentive Plans (Schedule of stock option activity) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014
Stock option activity rollforward	'
Outstanding at December 31, 2013	910,533
Exercised	-151,312
Canceled	-29,868
Outstanding at June 30, 2014	729,353
Vested and exercisable at June 30, 2014	729,353
Weighted-Average Exercise Price	'
Beginning balance - Weighted average price	$15.29
Exercised	$4.85
Canceled	$26.34
Ending Balance - Weighted average price	$17
Weighted average price - Vested and exercisable at June 30, 2014	$17

Longterm_Incentive_Plans_Sched1

Long-term Incentive Plans (Schedule of RSU activity) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014
RSU non-vested rollforward	'
Non-vested at December 31, 2013	728,818
Granted	123,232
Vested	-342,274
Non-vested at June 30, 2014	509,776
Weighted- Average Price on Date of Grant	'
Beginning balance - Weighted average price	$5.59
Granted	$11.85
Vested	$6.07
Ending balance - Weighted average price	$6.78
Vested RSUs redeemed for stock, cash, and related payments	'
Issuance of Common Stock	205,352
RSUs Redeemed in Cash	136,922
Cash Payments at Closing Price of Stock	$1,450

Longterm_Incentive_Plans_Sched2

Long-term Incentive Plans (Schedule of compensation expense for RSUs) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Compensation expense related to stock awards	'	'	'	'
Share-based compensation expense	$255	$433	$1,925	$1,807
RSUs - Redeemed in Stock	'	'	'	'
Compensation expense related to stock awards	'	'	'	'
Share-based compensation expense	105	123	592	803
RSUs - Redeemed in Cash	'	'	'	'
Compensation expense related to stock awards	'	'	'	'
Share-based compensation expense	$150	$310	$1,333	$1,004

Longterm_Incentive_Plans_Narra

Long-term Incentive Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Feb. 08, 2008
Stock Options	'	'
Common shares authorized for equity awards	'	8,000,000
Vested and exercisable weighted average remaining contractual term	'2 years 1 month 4 days	'
RSUs - Redeemed in Stock	'	'
RSUs	'	'
Percentage of redemption of RSUs in common stock	60.00%	'
RSUs - Redeemed in Cash	'	'
RSUs	'	'
Percentage of redemption of RSUs in cash	40.00%	'
Liability for the cash portion of redemption	1,957	'
Maximum | RSUs - Redeemed in Stock	'	'
RSUs	'	'
RSUs - vesting period	'3 years	'

Longterm_Debt_Narrative_Detail

Long-term Debt (Narrative) (Details) (Revolving Credit Facility, USD $)	3 Months Ended	6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Revolving Credit Facility	'	'
Line of Credit	'	'
Debt issuance costs amortized in current period	'	$401

Income_Taxes_Supplemental_Info

Income Taxes Supplemental Information (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Income tax expense	$1,428	$500	$2,319	$989
Effective Income Tax Rate, Continuing Operations	6.80%	24.90%	13.50%	-35.10%
Tax Credit Carryforward, Expiration Date	'	'	31-Dec-16	'

Pension_and_Other_Retirement_P2

Pension and Other Retirement Plans (Schedule of net periodic pension benefit) (Details) (A. H. Belo Pension Plans, USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
A. H. Belo Pension Plans	'	'	'	'
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure	'	'	'	'
Interest cost	$4,330	$3,999	$8,660	$7,998
Expected return on plans' assets	-5,215	-4,891	-10,430	-9,782
Amortization of net actuarial gains (losses)	0	426	0	851
Net periodic pension benefit	($885)	($466)	($1,770)	($933)

Pension_and_Other_Retirement_P3

Pension and Other Retirement Plans (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

3 Months Ended

6 Months Ended

1 Months Ended

In Thousands, unless otherwise specified

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jun. 30, 2014

Jun. 30, 2013

Jul. 29, 2014

401(K) Plan

401(K) Plan

401(K) Plan

401(K) Plan

Pension Transition Supplement Plan

Pension Transition Supplement Plan

Pension Transition Supplement Plan

Pension Transition Supplement Plan

A. H. Belo Pension Plans

A. H. Belo Pension Plans

A. H. Belo Pension Plans

A. H. Belo Pension Plans

Accelerated Contributions

A. H. Belo Pension Plans

Defined Benefit Plans

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Required Contributions by Employer

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

$2,186

$1,940

$4,126

$2,336

$5,801

Expected remaining pension plan contributions

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

0

'

'

Defined Contribution Plans

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Employer Matching Contribution, Percent

'

'

1.50%

1.50%

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Expense Recognized

268

258

521

515

0

0

0

598

'

'

'

'

'

Employer Discretionary Contribution Amount

'

'

'

'

$0

$1,090

$0

$2,826

'

'

'

'

'

Maximum period of supplemental contributions to the PTS plan

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'5 years

'

'

'

'

'

Shareholders_Equity_Schedule_o

Shareholders' Equity (Schedule of accumulated other comprehensive loss) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) rollforward	'	'	'	'
Balance, beginning of period	($15,266)	($73,287)	($15,093)	($73,532)
Amortization of net actuarial (losses) gains	-174	246	-347	491
Balance, end of period	-15,440	-73,041	-15,440	-73,041
A. H. Belo Pension Plans	'	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) rollforward	'	'	'	'
Balance, beginning of period	-16,059	-74,507	-16,059	-74,932
Amortization of net actuarial (losses) gains	0	426	0	851
Balance, end of period	-16,059	-74,081	-16,059	-74,081
Other Post-Employment Benefit Plans	'	'	'	'
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) rollforward	'	'	'	'
Balance, beginning of period	793	1,220	966	1,400
Amortization of net actuarial (losses) gains	-174	-180	-347	-360
Balance, end of period	$619	$1,040	$619	$1,040

Shareholders_Equity_Narrative_

Shareholders' Equity (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Dividends [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Payments of dividends	$35,624	$1,368	$37,429	$2,735
Treasury stock purchases	'	'	2,118	1,364
SpecialDividendDeclaredMay15,2014	'	'	'	'
Dividends [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Payments of dividends	'	'	33,819	'
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared	'	'	$1.50	'
DividendDeclaredMay15,2014	'	'	'	'
Dividends [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Dividends payable, date declared	15-May-14	'	'	'
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared	$0.08	'	'	'
Dividends payable, date of record	15-Aug-14	'	'	'
Dividends payable, date to be paid	5-Sep-14	'	'	'
Treasury Stock	'	'	'	'
Dividends [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Number of shares authorized to be repurchased	1,500,000	'	1,500,000	'
Treasury stock purchases	'	'	2,118	1,364
Treasury Stock | Series A: Common stock	'	'	'	'
Dividends [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Treasury stock, acquired shares	124,857	121,982	200,085	234,031
Treasury stock purchases	$1,443	$767	$2,118	$1,364

Earnings_Per_Share_Schedule_of

Earnings Per Share (Schedule of earnings per share reconciliation) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Earnings (numerator)	'	'	'	'
Net income (loss) attributable to A. H. Belo Corporation	$21,980	$1,181	$17,943	($6,841)
Less: Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net	2,269	-389	3,052	-3,156
Less: Income to participating securities	811	44	869	93
Net income (loss) available to common shareholders from continuing operations	$18,900	$1,526	$14,022	($3,778)
Shares (denominator)	'	'	'	'
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Basic	22,014,125	22,041,414	21,946,256	22,037,132
Incremental Common Shares Attributable to Dilutive Effect of Share-based Payment Arrangements	107,570	93,748	118,083	0
Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding, Diluted	22,121,695	22,135,162	22,064,339	22,037,132
Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations	'	'	'	'
Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations, basic (in dollars per share)	$0.86	$0.07	$0.64	($0.17)
Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations, diluted (in dollars per share)	$0.85	$0.07	$0.64	($0.17)

Earnings_Per_Share_Narrative_D

Earnings Per Share (Narrative) (Details)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013	Jun. 30, 2014	Jun. 30, 2013
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share, Amount	995,709	1,731,290	995,709	1,902,642

Subsequent_Events_Narrative_De

Subsequent Events (Narrative) (Details) (USD $)	1 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jul. 29, 2014
Building Sale	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Proceeds from Sale of Property, Plant, and Equipment	$1,607
Expected Gain (Loss) on Disposition of Property, Plant, and Equipment	250
Legal Settlement	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Gain Contingency, Unrecorded Amount	500
Proceeds from Legal Settlements	$250