The E.W. Scripps Company (SSP) 10-Q 6 Nov 20 2020 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Cover Page

Cover Page	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020shares
Document Information [Line Items]
Document Type	10-Q
Document Quarterly Report	true
Document Period End Date	Sep. 30, 2020
Document Transition Report	false
Entity File Number	001-10701
Entity Registrant Name	THE E.W. SCRIPPS COMPANY
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	OH
Entity Tax Identification Number	31-1223339
Entity Address, Address Line One	312 Walnut Street
Entity Address, City or Town	Cincinnati,
Entity Address, State or Province	OH
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	45202
City Area Code	513
Local Phone Number	977-3000
Title of 12(b) Security	Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	SSP
Security Exchange Name	NASDAQ
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Interactive Data Current	Yes
Entity Filer Category	Large Accelerated Filer
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Shell Company	false
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Central Index Key	0000832428
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--12-31
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2020
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Common stock, Class A
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	69,666,913
Voting common stock
Document Information [Line Items]
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	11,932,722

Condensed Consolidated Balance

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 128,548	$ 32,968
Accounts receivable (less allowances— $3,709 and $3,346)	382,531	387,847
Programming	0	52,699
FCC repack receivable	20,354	29,651
Miscellaneous	32,097	39,486
Total assets held for sale	102,511	101,266
Assets held for sale	155,623	0
Total current assets	821,664	643,917
Investments	13,207	8,375
Property and equipment	349,709	370,378
Right-of-use assets	51,279	128,192
Goodwill	1,201,533	1,224,679
Other intangible assets	982,366	1,060,675
Programming (less current portion)	137,663	96,256
Deferred income taxes	8,372	12,306
Miscellaneous	20,334	17,079
Total Assets	3,586,127	3,561,857
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable	59,684	28,441
Unearned revenue	34,510	10,704
Current portion of long-term debt	10,612	10,612
Accrued liabilities:
Employee compensation and benefits	38,939	43,259
Programming liability	69,261	96,682
Accrued interest	14,029	15,352
Miscellaneous	45,687	41,694
Other current liabilities	15,566	42,561
Total current liabilities	387,609	312,032
Long-term debt (less current portion)	1,900,861	1,904,418
Deferred income taxes	46,836	17,876
Operating lease liabilities	40,171	113,648
Other liabilities (less current portion)	287,583	315,948
Equity:
Preferred stock, $0.01 par — authorized: 25,000,000 shares; none outstanding	0	0
Common stock, $.01 par: Class A - authorized: 240,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding; 69,666,913 and 69,027,524 shares; Voting - authorized: 60,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding; 11,932,722 and 11,932,722 shares	816	810
Additional paid-in capital	1,127,149	1,117,095
Accumulated deficit	(108,730)	(120,981)
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes	(96,168)	(98,989)
Total equity	923,067	897,935
Total Liabilities and Equity	3,586,127	3,561,857
Disposed of by sale
Accrued liabilities:
Total current liabilities	19,708	22,727
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Accrued liabilities:
Total current liabilities	79,613	0
Common stock, Class A
Equity:
Common stock, $.01 par: Class A - authorized: 240,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding; 69,666,913 and 69,027,524 shares; Voting - authorized: 60,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding; 11,932,722 and 11,932,722 shares	697	691
Voting common stock
Equity:
Common stock, $.01 par: Class A - authorized: 240,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding; 69,666,913 and 69,027,524 shares; Voting - authorized: 60,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding; 11,932,722 and 11,932,722 shares	$ 119	$ 119

Condensed Consolidated Balanc_2

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 3,709	$ 3,346
Preferred stock, par value (USD per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Preferred stock, shares authorized	25,000,000	25,000,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	0	0
Common stock, par value (USD per share)	$ 0.01	$ 0.01
Common stock, Class A
Common stock, shares authorized	240,000,000	240,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	69,666,913	69,027,524
Common stock, shares outstanding	69,666,913	69,027,524
Voting common stock
Common stock, shares authorized	60,000,000	60,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	11,932,722	11,932,722
Common stock, shares outstanding	11,932,722	11,932,722

Condensed Consolidated Statemen

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020		Sep. 30, 2019
Operating Revenues:
Total operating revenues	$ 493,262	$ 330,857	$ 1,266,368		$ 928,344
Costs and Expenses:
Employee compensation and benefits	140,350	118,906	415,174		334,198
Programming	131,455	100,550	394,877		277,891
Other expenses	78,452	67,433	228,977		193,293
Acquisition and related integration costs	10,928	16,736	16,059		23,004
Restructuring costs	0	27	0		1,922
Total costs and expenses	361,185	303,652	1,055,087		830,308
Depreciation, Amortization, and (Gains) Losses:
Depreciation	12,568	9,833	38,315		28,458
Amortization of intangible assets	14,288	11,828	42,531		29,741
(Gains) losses, net on disposal of property and equipment	(2,012)	(11)	728		306
Net depreciation, amortization, and (gains) losses	24,844	21,650	81,574		58,505
Operating income	107,233	5,555	129,707		39,531
Interest expense	(21,387)	(26,537)	(70,184)		(53,476)
Defined benefit pension plan expense	(1,261)	(2,071)	(3,313)		(5,207)
Miscellaneous, net	1,488	2,042	1,050		1,611
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	86,073	(21,011)	57,260		(17,541)
Provision (benefit) for income taxes	22,100	(3,677)	17,997		(2,685)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	63,973	(17,334)	39,263		(14,856)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(5,455)	(4,429)	(14,597)		(14,087)
Net income (loss)	58,518	(21,763)	24,666		(28,943)
Income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	166	0		166
Net income (loss) attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company	$ 58,518	$ (21,929)	$ 24,666		$ (29,109)
Net income (loss) per basic share of common stock attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company:
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Basic Share	$ 0.76	$ (0.22)	$ 0.47		$ (0.19)
Loss from discontinued operations, Per Basic Share	(0.07)	(0.05)	(0.18)		(0.17)
Net income (loss) per basic share of common stock attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company:	0.70	(0.27)	0.29		(0.36)
Net income (loss) per diluted share of common stock attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company:
Income (Loss) from Continuing Operations, Per Diluted Share	0.76	(0.22)	0.47		(0.19)
Loss from discontinued operations, Per Diluted Share	(0.07)	(0.05)	(0.18)		(0.17)
Net income (loss) per diluted share of common stock attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company:	$ 0.69	$ (0.27)	$ 0.29	[1]	$ (0.36)
Advertising
Operating Revenues:
Total operating revenues	$ 320,026	$ 215,658	$ 770,024		$ 595,106
Retransmission and carriage
Operating Revenues:
Total operating revenues	153,888	97,128	437,121		277,736
Other
Operating Revenues:
Total operating revenues	$ 19,348	$ 18,071	$ 59,223		$ 55,502
[1]	See notes to condensed consolidated financial statements.

Condensed Consolidated Statem_2

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Loss) (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Net income (loss)	$ 58,518	$ (21,763)	$ 24,666	$ (28,943)
Changes in defined benefit pension plans, net of tax of $317, $218, $891, $528	1,002	648	2,803	1,569
Other	6	0	18	0
Total comprehensive income (loss)	59,526	(21,115)	27,487	(27,374)
Less comprehensive net income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	166	0	166
Total comprehensive income (loss) attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company	$ 59,526	$ (21,281)	$ 27,487	$ (27,540)

Condensed Consolidated Statem_3

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Loss (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Statement of Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Changes in defined benefit pension plans, tax amount	$ (317)	$ (218)	$ (891)	$ (528)

Condensed Consolidated Statem_4

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Cash Flows from Operating Activities:
Net income (loss)	$ 24,666	$ (28,943)
Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax	(14,597)	(14,087)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	39,263	(14,856)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) from continuing operations to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	80,846	58,199
(Gains) losses, net on disposal of property and equipment	728	306
Programming assets and liabilities	(31,960)	7,654
Deferred income taxes	32,019	(2,651)
Stock and deferred compensation plans	12,233	11,368
Pension expense, net of contributions	(27,218)	(9,630)
Other changes in certain working capital accounts, net	58,416	(30,758)
Miscellaneous, net	14,000	8,537
Net Cash Provided by Operating Activities, Continuing Operations	178,327	28,169
Net cash used in operating activities from discontinued operations	(18,528)	(17,162)
Net operating activities	159,799	11,007
Cash Flows from Investing Activities:
Acquisitions, net of cash acquired	2,500	(1,190,631)
Acquisition of intangible assets	(1,480)	(24,475)
Additions to property and equipment	(38,086)	(41,667)
Purchase of investments	(5,453)	(1,453)
Proceeds from FCC repack	19,164	3,965
Miscellaneous, net	3,980	(41)
Net cash used in investing activities from continuing operations	(19,375)	(1,254,302)
Net cash used in investing activities from discontinued operations	(333)	(108)
Net investing activities	(19,708)	(1,254,410)
Cash Flows from Financing Activities:
Net borrowings under revolving credit facility	0	20,000
Proceeds from issuance of long-term debt	0	1,261,175
Payments on long-term debt	(7,959)	(6,075)
Deferred financing costs	0	(31,295)
Dividends paid	(12,415)	(12,274)
Repurchase of Class A Common shares	0	(584)
Tax payments related to shares withheld for vested stock and RSUs	(2,323)	(3,716)
Miscellaneous, net	(21,837)	(4,437)
Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities from continuing operations	(44,534)	1,222,794
Effect of foreign exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents	23	2
Increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents	95,580	(20,607)
Cash and cash equivalents:
Beginning of year	32,968	107,114
End of period	128,548	86,507
Supplemental Cash Flow Disclosures
Interest paid	65,581	41,965
Income taxes paid	434	11,878
Non-cash investing information
Capital expenditures included in accounts payable	$ 2,015	$ 1,587

Condensed Consolidated Statem_5

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity (Unaudited) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Total	Common Stock	Additional Paid-in Capital	Retained Earnings (Accumulated Deficit)	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (AOCI)	Noncontrolling Interest
Equity, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018			$ 807	$ 1,106,984	$ (86,229)	$ (95,397)
Total Equity, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2018		$ 926,165
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income (loss)		(27,374)			(29,109)	1,569	$ 166
Cash dividend declared and paid		(12,274)			(12,274)
Repurchase of Class A Common shares		(584)	(2)	(582)	0
Compensation plans	[1]	7,841	4	7,837
Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019			809	1,114,239	(127,612)	(93,828)
Total Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019		$ 893,774					166
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shares Issued, Shares, Share-based Payment Arrangement, after Forfeiture		425,548
Stock Repurchased During Period, Shares		180,541
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared		$ 0.15
Tax payments related to shares withheld for vested stock and RSUs		$ 3,716
Equity, beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2019			809	1,111,849	(101,529)	(94,476)
Total Equity, beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2019		916,653
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income (loss)		(21,115)			(21,929)	648	166
Cash dividend declared and paid		(4,154)			(4,154)
Compensation plans	[2]	2,390	0	2,390
Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019			809	1,114,239	(127,612)	(93,828)
Total Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2019		$ 893,774					166
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shares Issued, Shares, Share-based Payment Arrangement, after Forfeiture		41,612
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared		$ 0.05
Tax payments related to shares withheld for vested stock and RSUs		$ 16
Equity, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019			810	1,117,095	(120,981)	(98,989)
Total Equity, beginning balance at Dec. 31, 2019		897,935					0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income (loss)		27,487			24,666	2,821
Cash dividend declared and paid		(12,415)			(12,415)
Compensation plans	[3]	10,060	6	10,054
Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020			816	1,127,149	(108,730)	(96,168)
Total Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020		$ 923,067					0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shares Issued, Shares, Share-based Payment Arrangement, after Forfeiture		639,389
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared		$ 0.15
Tax payments related to shares withheld for vested stock and RSUs		$ 2,323
Equity, beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2020			815	1,123,067	(163,092)	(97,176)
Total Equity, beginning balance at Jun. 30, 2020		863,614					0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Comprehensive income (loss)		59,526			58,518	1,008
Cash dividend declared and paid		(4,156)			(4,156)
Compensation plans	[4]	4,083	1	4,082
Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020			$ 816	$ 1,127,149	$ (108,730)	$ (96,168)
Total Equity, ending balance at Sep. 30, 2020		$ 923,067					$ 0
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Shares Issued, Shares, Share-based Payment Arrangement, after Forfeiture		83,073
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared		$ 0.05
Tax payments related to shares withheld for vested stock and RSUs		$ 31
[1]	Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $3,716 for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.
[2]	Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $16 for the three months ended September 30, 2019.
[3]	Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $2,323 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
[4]	Net of tax payments related to shares withheld for vested RSUs of $31 for the three months ended September 30, 2020.

Condensed Consolidated Statem_6

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Equity (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Statement of Stockholders' Equity [Abstract]
Net shares issued	83,073	41,612	639,389	425,548
Stock Repurchased During Period, Shares				180,541
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Declared	$ 0.05	$ 0.05	$ 0.15	$ 0.15
Common Stock, Dividends, Per Share, Cash Paid	$ 0.05	$ 0.05	$ 0.15	$ 0.15

Summary of Significant Accounti

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Summary of Significant Accounting Policies	Summary of Significant Accounting Policies As used in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements, the terms “Scripps,” “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us” may, depending on the context, refer to The E.W. Scripps Company, to one or more of its consolidated subsidiary companies, or to all of them taken as a whole. Basis of Presentation — The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. The interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto included in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. In management's opinion, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods have been made. Results of operations are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for future interim periods or for the full year. Additionally, certain amounts in prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current period's presentation. Principles of Consolidation — The consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities (VIEs) for which we are the primary beneficiary. We are the primary beneficiary of a VIE when we have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive returns that would be significant to the VIE. Noncontrolling interest represents an owner’s share of the equity in certain of our consolidated entities. All intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Investments in entities over which we have significant influence but not control are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Income from equity method investments represents our proportionate share of net income generated by equity method investees. Nature of Operations — We are a diverse media enterprise, serving audiences and businesses through a portfolio of local television stations and national media brands. All of our businesses provide content and services via digital platforms, including the Internet, smartphones and tablets. Our media businesses are organized into the following reportable business segments: Local Media, National Media and Other. Additional information for our business segments is presented in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements. Use of Estimates — Preparing financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make a variety of decisions that affect the reported amounts and the related disclosures. Such decisions include the selection of accounting principles that reflect the economic substance of the underlying transactions and the assumptions on which to base accounting estimates. In reaching such decisions, we apply judgment based on our understanding and analysis of the relevant circumstances, including our historical experience, actuarial studies and other assumptions. Our financial statements include estimates and assumptions used in accounting for our defined benefit pension plans; the periods over which long-lived assets are depreciated or amortized; the fair value of long-lived assets, goodwill and indefinite lived assets; the liability for uncertain tax positions and valuation allowances against deferred income tax assets; the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations; and self-insured risks. While we re-evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis, actual results could differ from those estimated at the time of preparation of the financial statements. Nature of Products and Services — The following is a description of principal activities from which we generate revenue. Core Advertising — Core advertising is comprised of sales to local and national customers. The advertising includes a combination of broadcast air time, as well as digital advertising. Pricing of advertising time is based on audience size and share, the demographic of our audiences and the demand for our limited inventory of commercial time. Advertising time is sold through a combination of local sales staff and national sales representative firms. Digital revenues are primarily generated from the sale of advertising to local and national customers on our local television websites, smartphone apps, tablet apps and other platforms. Political Advertising — Political advertising is generally sold through our Washington D.C. sales office. Advertising is sold to presidential, gubernatorial, Senate and House of Representative candidates, as well as for state and local issues. It is also sold to political action groups (PACs) or other advocacy groups. Retransmission Revenues — We earn revenue from retransmission consent agreements with multi-channel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) in our markets. The MVPDs are cable operators and satellite carriers who pay us to offer our programming to their customers. We also receive fees from over-the-top virtual MVPDs such as Hulu, YouTubeTV and AT&T Now. The fees we receive are typically based on the number of subscribers in our local market and the contracted rate per subscriber. Other Products and Services — We derive revenue from sponsorships and community events through our Local Media segment. Our National Media segment offers subscription services for access to premium content to its customers. Our Triton business earns revenue from monthly fees charged to audio publishers for converting their content into digital audio streams and inserting digital advertising into those audio streams and providing statistical measurement information about their listening audience. Refer to Note 12. Segment Information for further information, including revenue by significant product and service offering. Revenue Recognition — Revenue is measured based on the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for promised goods or services provided to customers, and excludes any amounts collected on behalf of third parties. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers. Advertising — Advertising revenue is recognized, net of agency commissions, over time primarily as ads are aired or impressions are delivered and any contracted audience guarantees are met. We apply the practical expedient to recognize revenue at the amount we have the right to invoice, which corresponds directly to the value a customer has received relative to our performance. For advertising sold based on audience guarantees, audience deficiency may result in an obligation to deliver additional advertisements to the customer. To the extent that we do not satisfy contracted audience ratings, we record deferred revenue until such time that the audience guarantee has been satisfied. Retransmission — Retransmission revenues are considered licenses of functional intellectual property and are recognized at the point in time the content is transferred to the customer. MVPDs report their subscriber numbers to us generally on a 30- to 90-day lag. Prior to receiving the MVPD reporting, we record revenue based on estimates of the number of subscribers, utilizing historical levels and trends of subscribers for each MVPD. Other — Revenues generated by our Triton business are recognized on a ratable basis over the contract term as the monthly service is provided to the customer. Transaction Price Allocated to Remaining Performance Obligations — As of September 30, 2020, we had an aggregate transaction price of $52.8 million allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations related to contracts within our Triton business, most of which is expected to be recognized into revenue over the next 24 months. We did not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations on any other contracts with customers because they are either (i) contracts with an original expected term of one year or less, (ii) contracts for which the sales- or usage-based royalty exception was applied, or (iii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed. Contract Balances — Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. We record a receivable when revenue is recognized prior to invoicing, or unearned revenue when revenue is recognized subsequent to invoicing. Payment terms may vary by contract type, although our terms generally include a requirement of payment within 30 to 90 days. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, we have determined our contracts do not include a significant financing component. The primary purpose of our invoicing terms is to provide customers with simplified and predictable ways of purchasing our products and services, not to receive financing from our customers. The allowance for doubtful accounts reflects our best estimate of probable losses inherent in the accounts receivable balance. We estimate the allowance based on expected credit losses, including our historical experience of actual losses and known troubled accounts. The allowance for doubtful accounts totaled $3.7 million at September 30, 2020 and $3.3 million at December 31, 2019. We record unearned revenue when cash payments are received in advance of our performance. We generally require amounts payable under advertising contracts with political advertising customers to be paid in advance. Unearned revenue totaled $34.5 million at September 30, 2020 and is expected to be recognized within revenue over the next 12 months. Unearned revenue totaled $10.7 million at December 31, 2019. We recorded $9.2 million of revenue in the nine months ended September 30, 2020 that was included in unearned revenue at December 31, 2019. Leases — We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, other current liabilities and operating lease liabilities in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As the implicit rate is not readily determinable for most of our leases, we use our incremental borrowing rate when determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate represents an estimate of the interest rate we would incur at lease commencement to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over the term of the lease. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any payments made at or before commencement and is reduced by any lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term. Share-Based Compensation — We have a Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) which is described more fully in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Plan provides for the award of incentive and nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units (RSUs) and unrestricted Class A Common shares and performance units to key employees and non-employee directors. Share-based compensation costs totaled $3.0 million and $2.0 million for the third quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively. Year-to-date share-based compensation totaled $10.2 million and $10.5 million in 2020 and 2019, respectively. Earnings Per Share (“EPS”) — Unvested awards of share-based payments with rights to receive dividends or dividend equivalents, such as our RSUs, are considered participating securities for purposes of calculating EPS. Under the two-class method, we allocate a portion of net income to these participating securities and, therefore, exclude that income from the calculation of EPS for common stock. We do not allocate losses to the participating securities. The following table presents information about basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Numerator (for basic and diluted earnings per share) Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax $ 63,973 $ (17,334) $ 39,263 $ (14,856) Income attributable to noncontrolling interest — (166) — (166) Less income allocated to RSUs (1,748) — (921) — Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share from $ 62,225 $ (17,500) $ 38,342 $ (15,022) Denominator Basic weighted-average shares outstanding 81,522 80,877 81,340 80,791 Effect of dilutive securities: Restricted stock units 566 — 279 — Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 82,088 80,877 81,619 80,791 For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, we incurred a net loss and the inclusion of RSUs would have been anti-dilutive. Accordingly, the diluted EPS calculation excludes the effect from 1.4 million of outstanding RSUs as of September 30, 2019. As of September 30, 2020, we had 0.5 million of outstanding RSUs that were anti-dilutive.

Recently Adopted Standards and

Recently Adopted Standards and Issued Accounting Standards (Notes)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Recently Adopted Standards and Issued Accounting Standards	Recently Adopted and Issued Accounting Standards Recently Adopted Accounting Standards — In December 2019, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued new guidance that simplifies the accounting for income taxes by removing certain exceptions to the general principles in Topic 740. The guidance also clarifies and amends existing guidance in order to improve the consistent application of, and simplify GAAP for, other areas of Topic 740. It is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2020, with early adoption permitted. We elected to early adopt this standard effective January 1, 2020, with no material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In March 2019, the FASB issued new guidance to align the accounting for the costs of producing films and episodic television series in response to changes in production and distribution models in the media and entertainment industry. The new guidance amends the capitalization, amortization, impairment, presentation and disclosure requirements for entities that produce and own content, and also aligns the impairment guidance for licensed content to the owned content fair value model. This guidance applies to broadcasters and entities that produce and distribute films and episodic television series through both traditional mediums and digital mediums. We adopted the standard on January 1, 2020. Upon adoption in 2020, we began recording all licensed programming assets and programming assets produced by us as non-current assets in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The adoption of the standard had no material impact on our condensed consolidated statements of operations. In August 2018, the FASB issued new guidance to address a customer's accounting for implementation costs incurred in a cloud computing arrangement ("CCA") that is a service contract. The new guidance aligns the accounting for costs incurred to implement a CCA that is a service arrangement with the guidance on capitalizing costs associated with developing or obtaining internal-use software. We adopted the standard on January 1, 2020, with no material impact on our condensed consolidated financial statements. In June 2016, the FASB issued new guidance that changes the impairment model for most financial assets and certain other instruments. For trade and other receivables, held-to-maturity debt securities, loans and other instruments, entities will be required to use a new forward-looking “expected loss” model that will replace today’s “incurred loss” model, which generally will result in the earlier recognition of allowances for losses. We adopted the standard on January 1, 2020. Considering current and expected future economic and market conditions related to COVID-19, we increased our allowances for accounts receivable $0.7 million upon adoption in the first quarter of 2020. The adoption of the standard did not result in any other material impacts to our condensed consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Recently Issued Accounting Standards — In March 2020, the FASB issued new guidance that provides optional expedients and exceptions to certain accounting requirements to facilitate the transition away from the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and other interbank offered rates. The guidance is effective as of March 12, 2020 and will apply through December 31, 2022 to all entities, subject to meeting certain criteria, that have contracts, hedging relationships and other transactions that reference LIBOR or another reference rate expected to be discontinued because of reference rate reform. We will evaluate transactions or contract modifications occurring as a result of reference rate reform to determine whether to apply the optional guidance on an ongoing basis.

Acquisitions

Acquisitions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Acquisitions	Acquisitions Television Stations Acquisitions On September 19, 2019, we closed on the acquisition of eight television stations in seven markets from the Nexstar Media Group, Inc. ("Nexstar") transaction with Tribune Media Company ("Tribune"). Cash consideration for the transaction totaled $582 million. Seven of the stations were operated by Tribune, and its subsidiaries, and one was operated by Nexstar. Nexstar was required to divest these stations in order to complete its acquisition of Tribune. On May 1, 2019, we acquired 15 television stations in 10 markets from Cordillera Communications, LLC ("Cordillera"), for $521 million in cash, plus a working capital adjustment of $23.9 million. In the second quarter of 2020, we received cash consideration and reduced the purchase price by $2.5 million related to an indemnification claim on certain acquired assets. Effective January 1, 2019, we acquired three television stations owned by Raycom Media ("Raycom") — Waco, Texas ABC affiliate KXXV/KRHD and Tallahassee, Florida ABC affiliate WTXL — for $55 million in cash. These stations were divested as part of Gray Television's acquisition of Raycom. The following table summarizes the final fair values of the Raycom, Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the closing dates. (in thousands) Raycom Cordillera Nexstar- Tribune Total Accounts receivable $ — $ 26,770 $ — $ 26,770 Current portion of programming — — 11,997 11,997 Other current assets — 986 3,541 4,527 Property and equipment 11,721 53,734 61,569 127,024 Operating lease right-of-use assets 296 4,667 82,447 87,410 Programming (less current portion) — — 9,830 9,830 Goodwill 18,349 251,681 168,196 438,226 Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses 6,800 26,700 176,000 209,500 Amortizable intangible assets: Television network affiliation relationships 17,400 169,400 181,000 367,800 Advertiser relationships 700 5,900 7,100 13,700 Other intangible assets — 13,000 — 13,000 Accounts payable — (15) — (15) Accrued expenses — (5,750) (4,586) (10,336) Current portion of programming liabilities — — (16,211) (16,211) Other current liabilities — (280) (3,185) (3,465) Operating lease liabilities (296) (4,387) (79,766) (84,449) Programming liabilities — — (15,607) (15,607) Net purchase price $ 54,970 $ 542,406 $ 582,325 $ 1,179,701 Of the value allocated to amortizable intangible assets, television network affiliation relationships have an estimated amortization period of 20 years, advertiser relationships have estimated amortization periods of 5-10 years and the value allocated to a shared services agreement has an estimated amortization period of 20 years. The goodwill of $438 million arising from the transactions consists largely of synergies, economies of scale and other benefits of a larger broadcast footprint. We allocated the goodwill to our Local Media segment. We treated the transactions as asset acquisitions for income tax purposes resulting in a step-up in the assets acquired. The goodwill is deductible for income tax purposes. Omny Studio On June 10, 2019, we completed the acquisition of Omny Studio ("Omny") for a cash purchase price of $8.3 million. Omny is a Melbourne, Australia-based podcasting software-as-a-service company operating as a part of Triton in our National Media segment. Omny is an audio-on-demand platform built specifically for professional audio publishers. The platform enables audio publishers to seamlessly record, edit, distribute, monetize and analyze podcast content; replace static ads with dynamically inserted, highly targeted ads; and automates key aspects of campaign management, such as industry separation, frequency capping and volume normalization. The final purchase price allocation assigned $5.3 million to goodwill, $3.8 million to a developed technology intangible asset and the remainder was allocated to various working capital and deferred tax liability accounts. The developed technology intangible asset has an estimated amortization period of 10 years. The goodwill arising from the transaction consists largely of the fact that the addition of Omny's podcast and on-demand audio publishing platform to Triton's portfolio of streaming, advertising and measurement technologies provides audio publishers around the world with a full-stack enterprise solution to increase reach and revenue. Pro forma results of operations Pro forma results of operations, assuming the Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune acquisitions had taken place at the beginning of 2019, are presented in the following table. The pro forma results do not include Raycom or Omny Studio, as the impact of these acquisitions, individually or in the aggregate, is not material to prior year results of operations. The pro forma information includes the historical results of operations of Scripps, Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune, as well as adjustments for additional depreciation and amortization of the assets acquired, additional interest expense related to the financing of the transactions and other transactional adjustments. The pro forma results exclude the $19.9 million of transaction related costs that were expensed in conjunction with the acquisitions and do not include efficiencies, cost reductions or synergies expected to result from the acquisitions. The unaudited pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of the results that actually would have occurred had the acquisitions been completed at the beginning of the period. (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Operating revenues $ 1,149,438 Loss from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company, net of tax (29,894) Net loss per share from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company: Basic $ (0.37) Diluted (0.37) Pending acquisition On September 23, 2020, we entered into an Agreement and Plan of Merger to buy national broadcast network ION Media for $2.65 billion. ION Media is a national network of broadcast stations and is the largest holder of U.S. broadcast television spectrum. The business distributes its programming through Federal Communications Commission-licensed television stations it owns as well as affiliated TV stations, reaching 96% of U.S. homes through its over-the-air broadcast and pay TV platforms. With the acquisition of ION Media, we will create a full-scale national television networks business by combining the ION network with the five Katz networks and national news network, Newsy. The transaction will be financed with a combination of cash, debt financing and preferred equity financing, including Berkshire Hathaway's $600 million preferred equity investment in Scripps. Berkshire Hathaway also will receive a warrant to purchase up to 23.1 million Class A shares, at an exercise price of $13 per share.

Asset Write-Downs and Other Cha

Asset Write-Downs and Other Charges and Credits	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Asset Write-Downs and Other Charges and Credits	Asset Write-Downs and Other Charges and Credits Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes was affected by the following: 2020 - Acquisition and related integration costs of $10.9 million in the third quarter of 2020 and $16.1 million in the first nine months of 2020 reflect contract termination costs and professional service costs incurred to integrate the Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune television stations, as well as costs incurred for the pending ION Media transaction. 2019 - Acquisition and related integration costs of $16.7 million in the third quarter of 2019 and $23.0 million in the first nine months of 2019 reflect investment banking and legal fees incurred to complete the 2019 acquisitions, as well as professional service costs incurred to integrate Triton and the Raycom, Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune television stations.

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes We file a consolidated federal income tax return, consolidated unitary tax returns in certain states and other separate state income tax returns for our subsidiary companies. The income tax provision for interim periods is generally determined based upon the expected effective income tax rate for the full year and the tax rate applicable to certain discrete transactions in the interim period. To determine the annual effective income tax rate, we must estimate both the total income (loss) before income tax for the full year and the jurisdictions in which that income (loss) is subject to tax. The actual effective income tax rate for the full year may differ from these estimates if income (loss) before income tax is greater than or less than what was estimated or if the allocation of income (loss) to jurisdictions in which it is taxed is different from the estimated allocations. We review and adjust our estimated effective income tax rate for the full year each quarter based upon our most recent estimates of income (loss) before income tax for the full year and the jurisdictions in which we expect that income will be taxed. On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") was enacted and signed into law. The CARES Act includes several provisions for corporations including increasing the amount of deductible interest, allowing companies to carryback certain net operating losses (“NOLs”) and increasing the amount of NOLs that corporations can use to offset income. The CARES Act did not materially affect our third quarter or year-to-date income tax provision. We received an additional tax refund of $14.0 million from the carryback of NOLs to prior periods in October 2020. We are currently assessing the future implications of these provisions within the CARES Act on our condensed consolidated financial statements, but do not expect the impact to be material. The effective income tax rate for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 was 31% and 15%, respectively. Differences between our effective income tax rate and the U.S. federal statutory rate are the impact of state taxes, foreign taxes, non-deductible expenses, changes in reserves for uncertain tax positions and excess tax benefits or expense from the exercise and vesting of share-based compensation awards ($1.2 million expense in 2020 and $0.8 million benefit in 2019). Additionally, in 2020, we had a net discrete tax provision charge of $3.5 million related to state deferred rate changes and state NOL valuation allowance reductions. Deferred tax assets totaled $8.4 million at September 30, 2020, which includes the tax effect of state NOL carryforwards. We recognize state NOL carryforwards as deferred tax assets, subject to valuation allowances. At each balance sheet date, we estimate the amount of carryforwards that are not expected to be used prior to expiration of the carryforward period. The tax effect of the carryforwards that are not expected to be used prior to their expiration is included in the valuation allowance.

Leases

Leases	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Leases	Leases We have operating leases for office space, data centers and certain equipment. Our leases have remaining lease terms of 1 year to 20 years, some of which may include options to extend the leases for up to 5 years, and some of which may include options to terminate the leases within 1 year. Operating lease costs recognized in our condensed consolidated statements of operations for the three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019 totaled $4.8 million and $3.7 million, including short-term lease costs of $0.1 million. Year-to-date September 30, 2020 and 2019 costs totaled $14.4 million and $9.5 million, including short-term lease costs of $0.4 million and $0.2 million, respectively. Other information related to our operating leases was as follows: (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate) As of As of Balance Sheet Information Right-of-use assets $ 51,279 $ 128,192 Other current liabilities 10,867 15,051 Operating lease liabilities 40,171 113,648 Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term Operating leases 7.46 years 12.59 years Weighted Average Discount Rate Operating leases 6.03 % 5.19 % Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Supplemental Cash Flows Information Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease $ 4,351 $ 3,568 $ 12,689 $ 9,316 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations 2,713 2,188 4,455 3,330 Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as of September 30, 2020 were as follows: (in thousands) Operating Remainder of 2020 $ 5,989 2021 9,901 2022 8,758 2023 8,774 2024 7,430 Thereafter 22,999 Total future minimum lease payments 63,851 Less: Imputed interest (12,813) Total $ 51,038

Goodwill and Other Intangible A

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill consisted of the following: (in thousands) Local Media National Media Total Gross balance as of December 31, 2019 $ 1,143,859 $ 318,734 $ 1,462,593 Accumulated impairment losses (216,914) (21,000) (237,914) Net balance as of December 31, 2019 $ 926,945 $ 297,734 $ 1,224,679 Gross balance as of September 30, 2020 $ 1,120,729 $ 318,718 $ 1,439,447 Accumulated impairment losses (216,914) (21,000) (237,914) Net balance as of September 30, 2020 $ 903,815 $ 297,718 $ 1,201,533 Other intangible assets consisted of the following: (in thousands) As of As of Amortizable intangible assets: Carrying amount: Television network affiliation relationships $ 616,244 $ 616,244 Customer lists and advertiser relationships 102,900 104,300 Other 104,036 102,956 Total carrying amount 823,180 823,500 Accumulated amortization: Television network affiliation relationships (106,258) (82,917) Customer lists and advertiser relationships (50,305) (42,012) Other (34,166) (23,811) Total accumulated amortization (190,729) (148,740) Net amortizable intangible assets 632,451 674,760 Indefinite-lived intangible assets — FCC licenses 349,915 385,915 Total other intangible assets $ 982,366 $ 1,060,675 On April 4, 2019, we acquired assets from an independent station in Stuart, Florida, for $23.6 million in cash. The value attributed to the acquired FCC license totaled $19.2 million and $4.1 million of value was attributed to an other intangible asset. Estimated amortization expense of intangible assets for each of the next five years is $14.4 million for the remainder of 2020, $55.3 million in 2021, $49.8 million in 2022, $44.3 million in 2023, $42.7 million in 2024, $40.0 million in 2025 and $386.0 million in later years. Goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are tested for impairment annually and any time events occur or changes in circumstances indicate it is more likely than not the fair value of a reporting unit, or respective indefinite-lived intangible asset, is below its carrying value. Our reporting units are Local Media, Katz, Triton, Stitcher and Newsy. Such events or changes in circumstances include, but are not limited to, changes in business climate, declines in the price of our stock, or other factors resulting in lower cash flow related to such assets. If the carrying amount exceeds its fair value, then an impairment loss is recognized. Weakness in economic conditions toward the end of the first quarter, reflecting the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, and declines in our stock price, created indications of fair value declines for our reporting units as of March 31, 2020. Accordingly, during the first quarter, we considered impacts to the estimated fair values for each of our reporting units to determine if it was more likely than not that fair value had declined below carrying value. Our analysis primarily relied upon market data and discounted cash flow analyses. The use of a discounted cash flow approach requires significant judgment to estimate future cash flows of the business and the period of time over which those cash flows will occur, as well as to determine an appropriate discount rate. While we believe the estimates and judgments used in the discounted cash flow analyses for our reporting units were appropriate, different assumptions with respect to future cash flows, long-term growth rates and discount rates, could produce different estimates of value. During the third quarter of 2020, we continued to evaluate changes in facts and circumstances and market impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, including their impact on operating results and whether it was more likely than not that fair values of our reporting units had declined below carrying value. We concluded that it was not more likely than not that the carrying value for any of our reporting units exceeded its fair value. However, the discounted cash flow values for each of our reporting units are lower than the values determined during our 2019 annual impairment test. In 2019, the fair value for our Local Media reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by approximately 25% and our other reporting units exceeded their carrying values by over 30%. The Local Media reporting unit has $0.9 billion of goodwill or 75% of the consolidated total for the Company. We have also concluded that it was not more likely than not that the carrying value of any of our FCC licenses exceeded their fair values. Our FCC licenses are indefinite-lived assets that are not subject to amortization. The value of a FCC license is estimated using an income approach, which requires multiple assumptions relating to the future prospects of each individual FCC license. While we believe the estimates and judgments used in determining that it was not more likely than not that the carrying values of the FCC licenses exceeded fair values were appropriate, different assumptions with respect to the income approach could produce different estimates of value. For example, as it relates to our 2019 annual impairment test, a 50-basis point increase in discount rates would reduce the aggregate fair value of the FCC licenses by approximately $65 million.

Long-Term Debt

Long-Term Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Long-Term Debt	Long-Term Debt Long-term debt consisted of the following: (in thousands) As of As of Revolving credit facility $ — $ — Senior unsecured notes, due in 2025 400,000 400,000 Senior unsecured notes, due in 2027 500,000 500,000 Term loan, due in 2024 291,000 293,250 Term loan, due in 2026 753,563 759,272 Total outstanding principal 1,944,563 1,952,522 Less: Debt issuance costs and issuance discounts (33,090) (37,492) Less: Current portion (10,612) (10,612) Net carrying value of long-term debt $ 1,900,861 $ 1,904,418 Fair value of long-term debt * $ 1,897,141 $ 1,991,164 * Fair values of the 2025 and 2027 Senior Notes are estimated based on quoted private market transactions and are classified as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of the term loans are based on observable estimates provided by third party financial professionals, and as such, are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy. 2025 Senior Unsecured Notes On April 28, 2017, we issued $400 million senior unsecured notes ("the 2025 Senior Notes"), which bear interest at a rate of 5.125% per annum and mature on May 15, 2025. The 2025 Senior Notes were priced at 100% of par value and interest is payable semi-annually on May 15 and November 15. If we sell certain of our assets or have a change of control, the holders of the 2025 Senior Notes may require us to repurchase some or all of the notes. The 2025 Senior Notes are also guaranteed by us and the majority of our subsidiaries. The 2025 Senior Notes contain covenants that, among other things, limit the ability to incur additional debt, make certain restricted payments, and/or create liens, that are typical for borrowing transactions of this nature. We incurred approximately $7.0 million of deferred financing costs in connection with the issuance of the 2025 Senior Notes, which are being amortized over the life of the notes. 2027 Senior Unsecured Notes On July 26, 2019, our wholly-owned subsidiary, Scripps Escrow, Inc. ("Scripps Escrow"), issued $500 million of senior unsecured notes, which bear interest at a rate of 5.875% per annum and mature on July 15, 2027 ("the 2027 Senior Notes"). The 2027 Senior Notes were priced at 100% of par value and interest is payable semi-annually on July 15 and January 15, commencing on January 15, 2020. Prior to July 15, 2022, we may redeem up to 40% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2027 Senior Notes at a redemption price of 105.875% of the principal amount plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the date of redemption. We may also redeem some or all of the notes before 2022 at a redemption price of 100% of the principal amount, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, to the redemption date. If we sell certain of our assets or have a change of control, the holders of the 2027 Senior Notes may require us to repurchase some or all of the notes. The 2027 Senior Notes are fully and unconditionally guaranteed on a senior unsecured basis by certain of our existing and future domestic restricted subsidiaries. The 2027 Senior Notes contain covenants that, among other things, limit the ability to incur additional debt, make certain restricted payments, and/or create liens, that are typical for borrowing transactions of this nature. There are no registration rights associated with the 2027 Senior Notes. We incurred approximately $10.7 million of deferred financing costs in connection with the issuance of the 2027 Senior Notes, which are being amortized over the life of the notes. Scripps Senior Secured Credit Agreement On October 2, 2017, we issued a $300 million term loan B which matures in October 2024 ("2024 term loan"). We amended the term loan on April 4, 2018, reducing the interest rate by 25 basis points. Following the amendment, interest is payable on the 2024 term loan at a rate based on LIBOR, plus a fixed margin of 2.00%. Interest will reduce to a rate of LIBOR plus a fixed margin of 1.75% if the Company’s total net leverage, as defined by the amended agreement, is below 2.75. The 2024 term loan requires annual principal payments of $3 million. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the interest rate on the 2024 term loan was 2.15% and 3.80%, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate was 2.16% and 4.25% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. On May 1, 2019, we entered into a Fourth Amendment to the Third Amended and Restated Credit Agreement ("Fourth Amendment"). Under the Fourth Amendment, we issued a $765 million term loan B ("2026 term loan") that matures in May 2026 with interest payable at rates based on LIBOR, plus a fixed margin of 2.75%. We amended this term loan on December 18, 2019, reducing the interest rate by 25 basis points. Following the amendment, interest is payable on the 2026 term loan at a rate based on LIBOR, plus a fixed margin of 2.50%. The 2026 term loan requires annual principal payments of $7.6 million. Deferred financing costs and original issuance discount totaled approximately $23.0 million with this term loan, which are being amortized over the life of the loan. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the interest rate on the 2026 term loan was 2.65% and 4.30%, respectively. The weighted-average interest rate on the term loan was 2.66% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. The weighted-average interest rate on the term loan was 5.00% for the months it was outstanding during 2019. We have a $210 million revolving credit facility ("Revolving Credit Facility") that expires in April 2022. Commitment fees of 0.30% to 0.50% per annum, based on our leverage ratio, of the total unused commitment are payable under the Revolving Credit Facility. Interest is payable on the Revolving Credit Facility at rates based on LIBOR, plus a margin based on our leverage ratio, ranging from 1.75% to 2.50%. As of September 30, 2020, we had no borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. The weighted-average interest rate over the period during which we had a drawn revolver balance in 2020 was 2.46%. As of September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, we had outstanding letters of credit totaling $6.0 million under the Revolving Credit Facility. The Senior Secured Credit Agreement contains covenants that limit our ability to incur additional debt and provides for restrictions on certain payments (dividends and share repurchases). Additionally, we must be in compliance with certain leverage ratios in order to proceed with acquisitions. Our credit agreement also includes a provision that in certain circumstances we must use a portion of excess cash flow to repay debt. We granted the lenders pledges of our equity interests in our subsidiaries and security interests in substantially all other personal property including cash, accounts receivables and equipment. In addition, the Revolving Credit Facility contains a covenant to comply with a maximum first lien net leverage ratio of 4.5 to 1.0 when we have outstanding borrowings on the facility. As of September 30, 2020, we were in compliance with our financial covenants. Debt Repurchase Authorization In November 2020, our Board of Directors authorized a debt repurchase program pursuant to which we may reduce, through redemptions or open market purchases and retirement, a combination of the outstanding principal balance of our 2025 Senior Notes, 2027 Senior Notes, or any indebtedness incurred from the financing of the pending ION Media acquisition. The authorization permits an aggregate principal amount reduction of up to $500 million if the pending ION Media acquisition closes or up to $100 million if the pending acquisition fails to close. The authorization expires on March 1, 2023.

Other Liabilities

Other Liabilities	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Other Liabilities	Other Liabilities Other liabilities consisted of the following: (in thousands) As of As of Employee compensation and benefits $ 35,098 $ 21,403 Deferred FCC repack income 44,752 36,770 Programming liability 38,632 57,291 Liability for pension benefits 158,815 190,219 Other 10,286 10,265 Other liabilities (less current portion) $ 287,583 $ 315,948

Supplemental Cash Flow Informat

Supplemental Cash Flow Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Supplemental Cash Flow Information	Supplemental Cash Flow Information The following table presents additional information about the change in certain working capital accounts: Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 Accounts receivable $ 5,822 $ (20,542) Other current assets 7,366 (7,084) Accounts payable 30,212 15,156 Accrued employee compensation and benefits (4,527) (4,769) Accrued interest (1,323) 10,508 Other accrued liabilities (2,812) (4,004) Unearned revenue 23,806 (2,501) Other, net (128) (17,522) Total $ 58,416 $ (30,758)

Employee Benefit Plans

Employee Benefit Plans	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Employee Benefit Plans	Employee Benefit Plans We sponsor a noncontributory defined benefit pension plan and non-qualified Supplemental Executive Retirement Plans ("SERPs"). The accrual for future benefits has been frozen in our defined benefit pension plan and SERPs. We sponsor a defined contribution plan covering substantially all non-union and certain union employees. We match a portion of employees' voluntary contributions to this plan. Other union-represented employees are covered by defined benefit pension plans jointly sponsored by us and the union, or by union-sponsored multi-employer plans. The components of the employee benefit plans expense consisted of the following: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Interest cost $ 5,014 $ 5,865 $ 14,849 $ 17,465 Expected return on plan assets, net of expenses (5,250) (4,865) (15,762) (14,981) Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service cost 1,255 823 3,504 1,967 Total for defined benefit pension plan 1,019 1,823 2,591 4,451 Multi-employer plans 15 4 76 103 SERPs 242 248 722 756 Defined contribution plan 3,060 2,743 10,541 7,433 Net periodic benefit cost 4,336 4,818 13,930 12,743 Allocated to discontinued operations (171) (103) (497) (293) Net periodic benefit cost — continuing operations $ 4,165 $ 4,715 $ 13,433 $ 12,450 We contributed $0.8 million to fund current benefit payments for our SERPs and $29.7 million for our defined benefit pension plan during the nine months ended September 30, 2020. During the remainder of 2020, we anticipate contributing an additional $0.5 million to fund the SERPs' benefit payments. We are required to contribute an additional $2.9 million to fund our qualified defined benefit pension plan in order to meet our 2020 funding requirements under the provisions of the Pension Funding Equity Act of 2004 and the Pension Protection Act of 2006. In response to COVID-19, President Donald Trump signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). The CARES Act provides a provision to defer 2020 pension contributions until January 1, 2021. We did not choose to delay the payment of 2020 pension contributions with respect to this permitted CARES Act provision.

Segment Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information We determine our business segments based upon our management and internal reporting structures, as well as the basis on which our chief operating decision maker makes resource-allocation decisions. We report our financial performance based on the following segments: Local Media, National Media, Other. Our Local Media segment includes our 60 local broadcast stations and their related digital operations. It is comprised of 18 ABC affiliates, 11 NBC affiliates, nine CBS affiliates and four FOX affiliates. We also have 13 CW affiliates - five on full power stations and eight on multicast; two MyNetworkTV affiliates; two independent stations and nine additional low power stations. Our Local Media segment earns revenue primarily from the sale of advertising to local, national and political advertisers and retransmission fees received from cable operators, telecommunications companies and satellite carriers. We also receive retransmission fees from over-the-top virtual MVPDs such as Hulu, YouTubeTV and AT&T Now. Our National Media segment includes our collection of national brands. Our national brands include Katz, Newsy, Triton and other national brands. These operations earn revenue primarily through the sale of advertising. We allocate a portion of certain corporate costs and expenses, including information technology, certain employee benefits and shared services, to our business segments. The allocations are generally amounts agreed upon by management, which may differ from an arms-length amount. Our chief operating decision maker evaluates the operating performance of our business segments and makes decisions about the allocation of resources to our business segments using a measure called segment profit. Segment profit excludes interest, defined benefit pension plan expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization, impairment charges, divested operating units, restructuring activities, investment results and certain other items that are included in net income (loss) determined in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Information regarding our business segments is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Segment operating revenues: Local Media $ 403,769 $ 252,392 $ 1,002,320 $ 692,494 National Media 89,413 78,285 260,835 231,937 Other 80 180 3,213 3,913 Total operating revenues $ 493,262 $ 330,857 $ 1,266,368 $ 928,344 Segment profit (loss): Local Media $ 144,561 $ 49,678 $ 232,798 $ 138,180 National Media 12,138 9,727 39,879 31,414 Other (1,566) (1,270) (1,632) (3,188) Shared services and corporate (12,128) (14,167) (43,705) (43,444) Acquisition and related integration costs (10,928) (16,736) (16,059) (23,004) Restructuring costs — (27) — (1,922) Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets (26,856) (21,661) (80,846) (58,199) Gains (losses), net on disposal of property and equipment 2,012 11 (728) (306) Interest expense (21,387) (26,537) (70,184) (53,476) Defined benefit pension plan expense (1,261) (2,071) (3,313) (5,207) Miscellaneous, net 1,488 2,042 1,050 1,611 Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes $ 86,073 $ (21,011) $ 57,260 $ (17,541) Depreciation: Local Media $ 10,455 $ 8,197 $ 32,719 $ 24,179 National Media 1,691 1,233 4,328 3,090 Other 76 43 154 120 Shared services and corporate 346 360 1,114 1,069 Total depreciation $ 12,568 $ 9,833 $ 38,315 $ 28,458 Amortization of intangible assets: Local Media $ 9,133 $ 7,438 $ 28,453 $ 16,864 National Media 4,816 4,052 13,063 11,862 Shared services and corporate 339 338 1,015 1,015 Total amortization of intangible assets $ 14,288 $ 11,828 $ 42,531 $ 29,741 Additions to property and equipment: Local Media $ 9,134 $ 8,460 $ 35,351 $ 30,351 National Media 1,375 2,150 3,416 10,712 Other 51 308 56 518 Shared services and corporate 78 374 294 980 Total additions to property and equipment $ 10,638 $ 11,292 $ 39,117 $ 42,561 A disaggregation of the principal activities from which we generate revenue is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Operating revenues: Core advertising $ 221,713 $ 210,621 $ 638,275 $ 587,073 Political 98,313 5,037 131,749 8,033 Retransmission and carriage 153,888 97,128 437,121 277,736 Other 19,348 18,071 59,223 55,502 Total operating revenues $ 493,262 $ 330,857 $ 1,266,368 $ 928,344

Capital Stock

Capital Stock	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Equity [Abstract]
Capital Stock	Capital Stock Capital Stock — We have two classes of common shares, Common Voting shares and Class A Common shares. The Class A Common shares are only entitled to vote on the election of the greater of three or one-third of the directors and other matters as required by Ohio law.

Accumulated Other Comprehensive

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI") by component, including items reclassified out of AOCI, were as follows: Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, June 30, 2020 $ (96,933) $ (243) $ (97,176) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $317 (a) 1,002 6 1,008 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 1,002 6 1,008 Ending balance, September 30, 2020 $ (95,931) $ (237) $ (96,168) Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, June 30, 2019 $ (94,444) $ (32) $ (94,476) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $218 (a) 648 — 648 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 648 — 648 Ending balance, September 30, 2019 $ (93,796) $ (32) $ (93,828) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, December 31, 2019 $ (98,734) $ (255) $ (98,989) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $891 (a) 2,803 18 2,821 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 2,803 18 2,821 Ending balance, September 30, 2020 $ (95,931) $ (237) $ (96,168) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, December 31, 2018 $ (95,365) $ (32) $ (95,397) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $528 (a) 1,569 — 1,569 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 1,569 — 1,569 Ending balance, September 30, 2019 $ (93,796) $ (32) $ (93,828) (a) Actuarial gain (loss) is included in defined benefit pension plan expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations

Assets Held for Sale and Discon

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations	Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations Stitcher During the second quarter of 2020, our Board of Directors approved the sale of our Stitcher podcasting business. On July 10, 2020, we signed a definitive agreement to sell the business for $325 million, with $265 million of cash upfront; earnout of up to $30 million based on 2020 financial results and paid in 2021; and earnout of up to $30 million based on 2021 financial results and paid in 2022. The transaction closed on October 16, 2020. Beginning in the second quarter of 2020, Stitcher was classified as discontinued operations in our condensed consolidated financial statements for all periods presented. Operating results of our discontinued Stitcher operations were as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Operating revenues $ 19,956 $ 18,937 $ 53,652 $ 51,108 Total costs and expenses (27,043) (23,414) (72,106) (65,758) Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets — (580) (1,157) (2,071) Other, net (33) — (139) — Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes (7,120) (5,057) (19,750) (16,721) Benefit for income taxes (1,665) (628) (5,153) (2,634) Net loss from discontinued operations $ (5,455) $ (4,429) $ (14,597) $ (14,087) The following table presents a summary of the Stitcher net assets classified as discontinued operations. (in thousands) As of As of Assets: Total current assets $ 33,263 $ 34,793 Investments 125 178 Property and equipment 5,488 5,526 Goodwill and intangible assets 47,507 48,292 Operating lease right-of-use assets 9,579 10,448 Other assets 6,549 2,029 Total assets of discontinued operations 102,511 101,266 Liabilities: Total current liabilities 10,912 10,175 Other liabilities 8,796 12,552 Total liabilities of discontinued operations 19,708 22,727 Net assets of discontinued operations $ 82,803 $ 78,539 WPIX When we acquired the Nexstar-Tribune television stations in 2019, we granted Nexstar the option to repurchase WPIX, the CW-affiliated station in New York City. The option was exercisable from March 31, 2020, through the end of 2021, and was assignable by Nexstar to a third party. In July 2020, Nexstar assigned their option to repurchase WPIX to Mission Broadcasting, and Mission immediately exercised the option. The option price is $75 million plus accrued interest, to be calculated on the period between September 19, 2019, the purchase date of WPIX, and the option sale closing date. The transaction will close upon satisfaction of normal customary closing conditions and regulatory approval. Beginning in the third quarter of 2020, WPIX assets and liabilities were classified as held for sale in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. The following table presents a summary of the WPIX net assets held for sale included in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. (in thousands) As of Assets: Property and equipment $ 16,721 Goodwill 24,997 Other intangible assets 37,120 Operating lease right-of-use assets 71,071 Other assets 5,714 Total assets held for sale 155,623 Liabilities: Total current liabilities 6,326 Operating lease liabilities 72,231 Other liabilities 1,056 Total liabilities held for sale 79,613 Net assets held for sale $ 76,010

Summary of Significant Accoun_2

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation — The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. The interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements, including the notes thereto included in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. In management's opinion, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) necessary for a fair presentation of the interim periods have been made.
Principles of Consolidation	Principles of Consolidation — The consolidated financial statements include our accounts and those of our wholly-owned and majority-owned subsidiaries and variable interest entities (VIEs) for which we are the primary beneficiary. We are the primary beneficiary of a VIE when we have the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the economic performance of the VIE and have the obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive returns that would be significant to the VIE. Noncontrolling interest represents an owner’s share of the equity in certain of our consolidated entities. All intercompany transactions and account balances have been eliminated in consolidation. Investments in entities over which we have significant influence but not control are accounted for using the equity method of accounting. Income from equity method investments represents our proportionate share of net income generated by equity method investees.
Nature of Operations	Nature of Operations — We are a diverse media enterprise, serving audiences and businesses through a portfolio of local television stations and national media brands. All of our businesses provide content and services via digital platforms, including the Internet, smartphones and tablets. Our media businesses are organized into the following reportable business segments: Local Media, National Media and Other. Additional information for our business segments is presented in the Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.
Use of Estimates	Use of Estimates — Preparing financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires us to make a variety of decisions that affect the reported amounts and the related disclosures. Such decisions include the selection of accounting principles that reflect the economic substance of the underlying transactions and the assumptions on which to base accounting estimates. In reaching such decisions, we apply judgment based on our understanding and analysis of the relevant circumstances, including our historical experience, actuarial studies and other assumptions. Our financial statements include estimates and assumptions used in accounting for our defined benefit pension plans; the periods over which long-lived assets are depreciated or amortized; the fair value of long-lived assets, goodwill and indefinite lived assets; the liability for uncertain tax positions and valuation allowances against deferred income tax assets; the fair value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations; and self-insured risks. While we re-evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis, actual results could differ from those estimated at the time of preparation of the financial statements.
Nature of Products and Services	Nature of Products and Services — The following is a description of principal activities from which we generate revenue. Core Advertising — Core advertising is comprised of sales to local and national customers. The advertising includes a combination of broadcast air time, as well as digital advertising. Pricing of advertising time is based on audience size and share, the demographic of our audiences and the demand for our limited inventory of commercial time. Advertising time is sold through a combination of local sales staff and national sales representative firms. Digital revenues are primarily generated from the sale of advertising to local and national customers on our local television websites, smartphone apps, tablet apps and other platforms. Political Advertising — Political advertising is generally sold through our Washington D.C. sales office. Advertising is sold to presidential, gubernatorial, Senate and House of Representative candidates, as well as for state and local issues. It is also sold to political action groups (PACs) or other advocacy groups. Retransmission Revenues — We earn revenue from retransmission consent agreements with multi-channel video programming distributors (“MVPDs”) in our markets. The MVPDs are cable operators and satellite carriers who pay us to offer our programming to their customers. We also receive fees from over-the-top virtual MVPDs such as Hulu, YouTubeTV and AT&T Now. The fees we receive are typically based on the number of subscribers in our local market and the contracted rate per subscriber. Other Products and Services — We derive revenue from sponsorships and community events through our Local Media segment. Our National Media segment offers subscription services for access to premium content to its customers. Our Triton business earns revenue from monthly fees charged to audio publishers for converting their content into digital audio streams and inserting digital advertising into those audio streams and providing statistical measurement information about their listening audience. Refer to Note 12. Segment Information for further information, including revenue by significant product and service offering.
Revenue Recognition	Revenue Recognition — Revenue is measured based on the consideration we expect to be entitled to in exchange for promised goods or services provided to customers, and excludes any amounts collected on behalf of third parties. Revenue is recognized upon transfer of control of promised products or services to customers. Advertising — Advertising revenue is recognized, net of agency commissions, over time primarily as ads are aired or impressions are delivered and any contracted audience guarantees are met. We apply the practical expedient to recognize revenue at the amount we have the right to invoice, which corresponds directly to the value a customer has received relative to our performance. For advertising sold based on audience guarantees, audience deficiency may result in an obligation to deliver additional advertisements to the customer. To the extent that we do not satisfy contracted audience ratings, we record deferred revenue until such time that the audience guarantee has been satisfied. Retransmission — Retransmission revenues are considered licenses of functional intellectual property and are recognized at the point in time the content is transferred to the customer. MVPDs report their subscriber numbers to us generally on a 30- to 90-day lag. Prior to receiving the MVPD reporting, we record revenue based on estimates of the number of subscribers, utilizing historical levels and trends of subscribers for each MVPD. Other — Revenues generated by our Triton business are recognized on a ratable basis over the contract term as the monthly service is provided to the customer.
Transaction Price Allocated to Remaining Performance Obligations	Transaction Price Allocated to Remaining Performance Obligations — As of September 30, 2020, we had an aggregate transaction price of $52.8 million allocated to unsatisfied performance obligations related to contracts within our Triton business, most of which is expected to be recognized into revenue over the next 24 months. We did not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations on any other contracts with customers because they are either (i) contracts with an original expected term of one year or less, (ii) contracts for which the sales- or usage-based royalty exception was applied, or (iii) contracts for which we recognize revenue at the amount to which we have the right to invoice for services performed.
Contract Balances	Contract Balances — Timing of revenue recognition may differ from the timing of invoicing to customers. We record a receivable when revenue is recognized prior to invoicing, or unearned revenue when revenue is recognized subsequent to invoicing. Payment terms may vary by contract type, although our terms generally include a requirement of payment within 30 to 90 days. In instances where the timing of revenue recognition differs from the timing of invoicing, we have determined our contracts do not include a significant financing component. The primary purpose of our invoicing terms is to provide customers with simplified and predictable ways of purchasing our products and services, not to receive financing from our customers.
Leases	Leases — We determine if an arrangement is a lease at inception. Operating leases are included in operating lease right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, other current liabilities and operating lease liabilities in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. ROU assets represent our right to use an underlying asset for the lease term and lease liabilities represent our obligation to make lease payments arising from the lease. Operating lease ROU assets and liabilities are recognized at the commencement date based on the present value of lease payments over the lease term. As the implicit rate is not readily determinable for most of our leases, we use our incremental borrowing rate when determining the present value of lease payments. The incremental borrowing rate represents an estimate of the interest rate we would incur at lease commencement to borrow an amount equal to the lease payments on a collateralized basis over the term of the lease. The operating lease ROU asset also includes any payments made at or before commencement and is reduced by any lease incentives. Our lease terms may include options to extend or terminate the lease when it is reasonably certain that we will exercise that option. Lease expense for lease payments is recognized on a straight-line basis over the lease term.
Share-Based Compensation	Share-Based Compensation — We have a Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “Plan”) which is described more fully in our 2019 Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Plan provides for the award of incentive and nonqualified stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock units (RSUs) and unrestricted Class A Common shares and performance units to key employees and non-employee directors.
Earnings Per Share (EPS)	Earnings Per Share (“EPS”) — Unvested awards of share-based payments with rights to receive dividends or dividend equivalents, such as our RSUs, are considered participating securities for purposes of calculating EPS. Under the two-class method, we allocate a portion of net income to these participating securities and, therefore, exclude that income from the calculation of EPS for common stock. We do not allocate losses to the participating securities.

Summary of Significant Accoun_3

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Components of basic and diluted weighted-average shares	The following table presents information about basic and diluted weighted-average shares outstanding: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Numerator (for basic and diluted earnings per share) Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax $ 63,973 $ (17,334) $ 39,263 $ (14,856) Income attributable to noncontrolling interest — (166) — (166) Less income allocated to RSUs (1,748) — (921) — Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share from $ 62,225 $ (17,500) $ 38,342 $ (15,022) Denominator Basic weighted-average shares outstanding 81,522 80,877 81,340 80,791 Effect of dilutive securities: Restricted stock units 566 — 279 — Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 82,088 80,877 81,619 80,791

Acquisitions (Tables)

Acquisitions (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Business Combinations [Abstract]
Schedule of Preliminary Fair Value of Assets Acquired and Liabilities Assumed	The following table summarizes the final fair values of the Raycom, Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune assets acquired and liabilities assumed at the closing dates. (in thousands) Raycom Cordillera Nexstar- Tribune Total Accounts receivable $ — $ 26,770 $ — $ 26,770 Current portion of programming — — 11,997 11,997 Other current assets — 986 3,541 4,527 Property and equipment 11,721 53,734 61,569 127,024 Operating lease right-of-use assets 296 4,667 82,447 87,410 Programming (less current portion) — — 9,830 9,830 Goodwill 18,349 251,681 168,196 438,226 Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses 6,800 26,700 176,000 209,500 Amortizable intangible assets: Television network affiliation relationships 17,400 169,400 181,000 367,800 Advertiser relationships 700 5,900 7,100 13,700 Other intangible assets — 13,000 — 13,000 Accounts payable — (15) — (15) Accrued expenses — (5,750) (4,586) (10,336) Current portion of programming liabilities — — (16,211) (16,211) Other current liabilities — (280) (3,185) (3,465) Operating lease liabilities (296) (4,387) (79,766) (84,449) Programming liabilities — — (15,607) (15,607) Net purchase price $ 54,970 $ 542,406 $ 582,325 $ 1,179,701
Schedule of Pro Forma Information	Pro forma results of operations, assuming the Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune acquisitions had taken place at the beginning of 2019, are presented in the following table. The pro forma results do not include Raycom or Omny Studio, as the impact of these acquisitions, individually or in the aggregate, is not material to prior year results of operations. The pro forma information includes the historical results of operations of Scripps, Cordillera and Nexstar-Tribune, as well as adjustments for additional depreciation and amortization of the assets acquired, additional interest expense related to the financing of the transactions and other transactional adjustments. The pro forma results exclude the $19.9 million of transaction related costs that were expensed in conjunction with the acquisitions and do not include efficiencies, cost reductions or synergies expected to result from the acquisitions. The unaudited pro forma financial information is not necessarily indicative of the results that actually would have occurred had the acquisitions been completed at the beginning of the period. (in thousands, except per share data) (unaudited) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 Operating revenues $ 1,149,438 Loss from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company, net of tax (29,894) Net loss per share from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company: Basic $ (0.37) Diluted (0.37)

Leases (Tables)

Leases (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Leases [Abstract]
Schedule of Information Related to Operating Leases	Other information related to our operating leases was as follows: (in thousands, except lease term and discount rate) As of As of Balance Sheet Information Right-of-use assets $ 51,279 $ 128,192 Other current liabilities 10,867 15,051 Operating lease liabilities 40,171 113,648 Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term Operating leases 7.46 years 12.59 years Weighted Average Discount Rate Operating leases 6.03 % 5.19 %
Schedule of Lease Cost Information	Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Supplemental Cash Flows Information Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease $ 4,351 $ 3,568 $ 12,689 $ 9,316 Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations 2,713 2,188 4,455 3,330
Schedule of Minimum Lease Payments Under Non-Cancellable Operating Leases	Future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases as of September 30, 2020 were as follows: (in thousands) Operating Remainder of 2020 $ 5,989 2021 9,901 2022 8,758 2023 8,774 2024 7,430 Thereafter 22,999 Total future minimum lease payments 63,851 Less: Imputed interest (12,813) Total $ 51,038

Goodwill and Other Intangible_2

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Goodwill	Goodwill consisted of the following: (in thousands) Local Media National Media Total Gross balance as of December 31, 2019 $ 1,143,859 $ 318,734 $ 1,462,593 Accumulated impairment losses (216,914) (21,000) (237,914) Net balance as of December 31, 2019 $ 926,945 $ 297,734 $ 1,224,679 Gross balance as of September 30, 2020 $ 1,120,729 $ 318,718 $ 1,439,447 Accumulated impairment losses (216,914) (21,000) (237,914) Net balance as of September 30, 2020 $ 903,815 $ 297,718 $ 1,201,533
Summary of other finite-lived intangible assets	Other intangible assets consisted of the following: (in thousands) As of As of Amortizable intangible assets: Carrying amount: Television network affiliation relationships $ 616,244 $ 616,244 Customer lists and advertiser relationships 102,900 104,300 Other 104,036 102,956 Total carrying amount 823,180 823,500 Accumulated amortization: Television network affiliation relationships (106,258) (82,917) Customer lists and advertiser relationships (50,305) (42,012) Other (34,166) (23,811) Total accumulated amortization (190,729) (148,740) Net amortizable intangible assets 632,451 674,760 Indefinite-lived intangible assets — FCC licenses 349,915 385,915 Total other intangible assets $ 982,366 $ 1,060,675
Schedule of Indefinite-Lived Intangible Assets	Other intangible assets consisted of the following: (in thousands) As of As of Amortizable intangible assets: Carrying amount: Television network affiliation relationships $ 616,244 $ 616,244 Customer lists and advertiser relationships 102,900 104,300 Other 104,036 102,956 Total carrying amount 823,180 823,500 Accumulated amortization: Television network affiliation relationships (106,258) (82,917) Customer lists and advertiser relationships (50,305) (42,012) Other (34,166) (23,811) Total accumulated amortization (190,729) (148,740) Net amortizable intangible assets 632,451 674,760 Indefinite-lived intangible assets — FCC licenses 349,915 385,915 Total other intangible assets $ 982,366 $ 1,060,675

Long-Term Debt (Tables)

Long-Term Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Components of Long-term debt	Long-term debt consisted of the following: (in thousands) As of As of Revolving credit facility $ — $ — Senior unsecured notes, due in 2025 400,000 400,000 Senior unsecured notes, due in 2027 500,000 500,000 Term loan, due in 2024 291,000 293,250 Term loan, due in 2026 753,563 759,272 Total outstanding principal 1,944,563 1,952,522 Less: Debt issuance costs and issuance discounts (33,090) (37,492) Less: Current portion (10,612) (10,612) Net carrying value of long-term debt $ 1,900,861 $ 1,904,418 Fair value of long-term debt * $ 1,897,141 $ 1,991,164 * Fair values of the 2025 and 2027 Senior Notes are estimated based on quoted private market transactions and are classified as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of the term loans are based on observable estimates provided by third party financial professionals, and as such, are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Other Liabilities (Tables)

Other Liabilities (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Other Liabilities Disclosure [Abstract]
Other liabilities	Other liabilities consisted of the following: (in thousands) As of As of Employee compensation and benefits $ 35,098 $ 21,403 Deferred FCC repack income 44,752 36,770 Programming liability 38,632 57,291 Liability for pension benefits 158,815 190,219 Other 10,286 10,265 Other liabilities (less current portion) $ 287,583 $ 315,948

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_2

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Supplemental Cash Flow Elements [Abstract]
Change in certain working capital accounts	The following table presents additional information about the change in certain working capital accounts: Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 Accounts receivable $ 5,822 $ (20,542) Other current assets 7,366 (7,084) Accounts payable 30,212 15,156 Accrued employee compensation and benefits (4,527) (4,769) Accrued interest (1,323) 10,508 Other accrued liabilities (2,812) (4,004) Unearned revenue 23,806 (2,501) Other, net (128) (17,522) Total $ 58,416 $ (30,758)

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)

Employee Benefit Plans (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]
Components of benefit expense	The components of the employee benefit plans expense consisted of the following: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Interest cost $ 5,014 $ 5,865 $ 14,849 $ 17,465 Expected return on plan assets, net of expenses (5,250) (4,865) (15,762) (14,981) Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service cost 1,255 823 3,504 1,967 Total for defined benefit pension plan 1,019 1,823 2,591 4,451 Multi-employer plans 15 4 76 103 SERPs 242 248 722 756 Defined contribution plan 3,060 2,743 10,541 7,433 Net periodic benefit cost 4,336 4,818 13,930 12,743 Allocated to discontinued operations (171) (103) (497) (293) Net periodic benefit cost — continuing operations $ 4,165 $ 4,715 $ 13,433 $ 12,450

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Information regarding business segments	Information regarding our business segments is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Segment operating revenues: Local Media $ 403,769 $ 252,392 $ 1,002,320 $ 692,494 National Media 89,413 78,285 260,835 231,937 Other 80 180 3,213 3,913 Total operating revenues $ 493,262 $ 330,857 $ 1,266,368 $ 928,344 Segment profit (loss): Local Media $ 144,561 $ 49,678 $ 232,798 $ 138,180 National Media 12,138 9,727 39,879 31,414 Other (1,566) (1,270) (1,632) (3,188) Shared services and corporate (12,128) (14,167) (43,705) (43,444) Acquisition and related integration costs (10,928) (16,736) (16,059) (23,004) Restructuring costs — (27) — (1,922) Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets (26,856) (21,661) (80,846) (58,199) Gains (losses), net on disposal of property and equipment 2,012 11 (728) (306) Interest expense (21,387) (26,537) (70,184) (53,476) Defined benefit pension plan expense (1,261) (2,071) (3,313) (5,207) Miscellaneous, net 1,488 2,042 1,050 1,611 Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes $ 86,073 $ (21,011) $ 57,260 $ (17,541) Depreciation: Local Media $ 10,455 $ 8,197 $ 32,719 $ 24,179 National Media 1,691 1,233 4,328 3,090 Other 76 43 154 120 Shared services and corporate 346 360 1,114 1,069 Total depreciation $ 12,568 $ 9,833 $ 38,315 $ 28,458 Amortization of intangible assets: Local Media $ 9,133 $ 7,438 $ 28,453 $ 16,864 National Media 4,816 4,052 13,063 11,862 Shared services and corporate 339 338 1,015 1,015 Total amortization of intangible assets $ 14,288 $ 11,828 $ 42,531 $ 29,741 Additions to property and equipment: Local Media $ 9,134 $ 8,460 $ 35,351 $ 30,351 National Media 1,375 2,150 3,416 10,712 Other 51 308 56 518 Shared services and corporate 78 374 294 980 Total additions to property and equipment $ 10,638 $ 11,292 $ 39,117 $ 42,561
Disaggregation of Principal Revenue Generating Activities	A disaggregation of the principal activities from which we generate revenue is as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Operating revenues: Core advertising $ 221,713 $ 210,621 $ 638,275 $ 587,073 Political 98,313 5,037 131,749 8,033 Retransmission and carriage 153,888 97,128 437,121 277,736 Other 19,348 18,071 59,223 55,502 Total operating revenues $ 493,262 $ 330,857 $ 1,266,368 $ 928,344

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_2

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]
Schedule of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss	Changes in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) ("AOCI") by component, including items reclassified out of AOCI, were as follows: Three Months Ended September 30, 2020 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, June 30, 2020 $ (96,933) $ (243) $ (97,176) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $317 (a) 1,002 6 1,008 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 1,002 6 1,008 Ending balance, September 30, 2020 $ (95,931) $ (237) $ (96,168) Three Months Ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, June 30, 2019 $ (94,444) $ (32) $ (94,476) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $218 (a) 648 — 648 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 648 — 648 Ending balance, September 30, 2019 $ (93,796) $ (32) $ (93,828) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2020 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, December 31, 2019 $ (98,734) $ (255) $ (98,989) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $891 (a) 2,803 18 2,821 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 2,803 18 2,821 Ending balance, September 30, 2020 $ (95,931) $ (237) $ (96,168) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2019 (in thousands) Defined Benefit Pension Items Other Total Beginning balance, December 31, 2018 $ (95,365) $ (32) $ (95,397) Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications — — — Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax of $528 (a) 1,569 — 1,569 Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss) 1,569 — 1,569 Ending balance, September 30, 2019 $ (93,796) $ (32) $ (93,828) (a) Actuarial gain (loss) is included in defined benefit pension plan expense in the condensed consolidated statements of operations

Assets Held for Sale and Disc_2

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020
Discontinued Operations and Disposal Groups [Abstract]
Summary of discontinued operations	Operating results of our discontinued Stitcher operations were as follows: Three Months Ended Nine Months Ended (in thousands) 2020 2019 2020 2019 Operating revenues $ 19,956 $ 18,937 $ 53,652 $ 51,108 Total costs and expenses (27,043) (23,414) (72,106) (65,758) Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets — (580) (1,157) (2,071) Other, net (33) — (139) — Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes (7,120) (5,057) (19,750) (16,721) Benefit for income taxes (1,665) (628) (5,153) (2,634) Net loss from discontinued operations $ (5,455) $ (4,429) $ (14,597) $ (14,087)
Summary of assets held-for-sale included in balance sheet	The following table presents a summary of the Stitcher net assets classified as discontinued operations. (in thousands) As of As of Assets: Total current assets $ 33,263 $ 34,793 Investments 125 178 Property and equipment 5,488 5,526 Goodwill and intangible assets 47,507 48,292 Operating lease right-of-use assets 9,579 10,448 Other assets 6,549 2,029 Total assets of discontinued operations 102,511 101,266 Liabilities: Total current liabilities 10,912 10,175 Other liabilities 8,796 12,552 Total liabilities of discontinued operations 19,708 22,727 Net assets of discontinued operations $ 82,803 $ 78,539 The following table presents a summary of the WPIX net assets held for sale included in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. (in thousands) As of Assets: Property and equipment $ 16,721 Goodwill 24,997 Other intangible assets 37,120 Operating lease right-of-use assets 71,071 Other assets 5,714 Total assets held for sale 155,623 Liabilities: Total current liabilities 6,326 Operating lease liabilities 72,231 Other liabilities 1,056 Total liabilities held for sale 79,613 Net assets held for sale $ 76,010

Summary of Significant Accoun_4

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands, shares in Millions	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Unsatisfied performance obligation	$ 52,800		$ 52,800
Allowance for doubtful accounts	3,709		3,709		$ 3,346
Unearned revenue	34,510		34,510		$ 10,704
Prior year unearned revenue recognized in period			9,200
Share-based compensation costs	$ 3,000	$ 2,000	$ 10,200	$ 10,500
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of Earnings Per Share, amount			0.5	1.4

Summary of Significant Accoun_5

Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Earnings Per Share (Details) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Numerator (for basic and diluted earnings per share)
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income tax	$ 63,973	$ (17,334)	$ 39,263	$ (14,856)
Income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	(166)	0	(166)
Income allocated to RSUs	1,748	0	921	0
Numerator for basic and diluted earnings per share from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company	$ 62,225	$ (17,500)	$ 38,342	$ (15,022)
Denominator
Basic weighted-average shares outstanding	81,522	80,877	81,340	80,791
Effect of dilutive securities:
Restricted stock units	566	0	279	0
Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding	82,088	80,877	81,619	80,791

Recently Adopted Standards an_2

Recently Adopted Standards and Issued Accounting Standards (Details) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Accounting Standards Update 2016-13
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Increase in allowance for doubtful accounts	$ 0.7

Acquisitions - Acquisition Info

Acquisitions - Acquisition Information (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	Sep. 23, 2020USD ($)station$ / sharesshares	Sep. 19, 2019USD ($)televisionMarkettelevision_station	Jun. 10, 2019USD ($)	May 01, 2019USD ($)television_stationtelevisionMarket	Jan. 01, 2019USD ($)television_station	Jun. 30, 2020USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Programming							$ 0	$ 52,699
Programming (less current portion)							137,663	96,256
Goodwill							1,201,533	1,224,679
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses							349,915	385,915
Current programming liability							69,261	96,682
Programming liability							(38,632)	$ (57,291)
Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | television_station		8
Business acquisition, purchase price		$ 582,000
Programming		11,997
Other current assets		3,541
Property and equipment		61,569
Right-of-use assets		82,447
Programming (less current portion)		9,830
Goodwill		168,196
Accrued expenses		(4,586)
Current programming liability		16,211
Other current liabilities		(3,185)
Operating lease liabilities		(79,766)
Programming liability		(15,607)
Net purchase price		$ 582,325
Number of television markets | televisionMarket		7
Number of television stations | television_station		1
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Tribune Media Company [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of television stations | television_station		7
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets		$ 181,000
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets		7,100
Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses		$ 176,000
Cordillera Communications, LLC
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | television_station				15
Business acquisition, purchase price				$ 521,000
Net working capital adjustment used in combination				23,900
Reduction of purchase price						$ 2,500
Accounts receivable				26,770
Other current assets				986
Property and equipment				53,734
Right-of-use assets				4,667
Goodwill				251,681
Accounts payable				(15)
Accrued expenses				(5,750)
Other current liabilities				(280)
Operating lease liabilities				(4,387)
Net purchase price				$ 542,406
Number of television markets | televisionMarket				10
Cordillera Communications, LLC | Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets				$ 169,400
Cordillera Communications, LLC | Advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets				5,900
Cordillera Communications, LLC | Shared Service Agreements
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets				$ 13,000
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period				20 years
Cordillera Communications, LLC | Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses				$ 26,700
Raycom Media, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of businesses acquired | television_station					3
Business acquisition, purchase price					$ 55,000
Property and equipment					11,721
Right-of-use assets					296
Goodwill					18,349
Operating lease liabilities					(296)
Net purchase price					54,970
Raycom Media, Inc. | Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets					17,400
Raycom Media, Inc. | Advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets					700
Raycom Media, Inc. | Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses					$ 6,800
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Accounts receivable							26,770
Programming							11,997
Other current assets							4,527
Property and equipment							127,024
Right-of-use assets							87,410
Programming (less current portion)							9,830
Goodwill							438,226
Accounts payable							(15)
Accrued expenses							(10,336)
Current programming liability							16,211
Other current liabilities							(3,465)
Operating lease liabilities							(84,449)
Programming liability							(15,607)
Net purchase price							1,179,701
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Television network affiliation relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets							$ 367,800
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period							20 years
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets							$ 13,700
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Shared Service Agreements
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets							13,000
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses							$ 209,500
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Minimum | Advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period							5 years
Raycom Media, Inc., Cordillera Communications, LLC And Nexstar Media Group, Inc. | Maximum | Advertiser relationships
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period							10 years
Omny Studio
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Business acquisition, purchase price			$ 8,300
Goodwill			5,300
Omny Studio | Developed Technology Rights
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Other intangible assets			$ 3,800
Intangible asset, estimated amortization period			10 years
ION Media [Member]
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Expected purchase price at merger	$ 2,650,000
Exercise right of warrants ( in dollars per share) | $ / shares	$ 13
Number of stations to be divested | station	26
ION Media [Member] | United States
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Percentage of US Homes	96.00%
ION Media [Member] | Preferred Stock | Berkshire Hathaway
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Preferred equity investment	$ 600,000
ION Media [Member] | Common stock, Class A | Berkshire Hathaway
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Number of shares purchasable by warrant | shares	23,100,000

Acquisitions - Pro Forma Inform

Acquisitions - Pro Forma Information (Details) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)$ / shares
Operating revenues	$ 1,149,438
Loss from continuing operations attributable to the shareholders of The E.W. Scripps Company, net of tax	$ (29,894)
Net loss per share - basic | $ / shares	$ (0.37)
Net loss per share - diluted | $ / shares	$ (0.37)
Cordillera Communications, LLC and Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Transaction related costs	$ 19,900

Asset Write-Downs and Other C_2

Asset Write-Downs and Other Charges and Credits (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Restructuring and Related Activities [Abstract]
Acquisition and related integration costs	$ 10,928	$ 16,736	$ 16,059	$ 23,004

Income Taxes (Details)

Income Taxes (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2020	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Effective income tax rate		31.00%	15.00%
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, Nondeductible Expense, Share-based Compensation Cost, Amount		$ 1.2
Excess tax benefits on share-based compensation			$ 0.8
Deferred tax assets		8.4
State and Local Jurisdiction
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Income Tax Expense (Benefit), Discreet Tax Provision Charge		$ 3.5
Scenario, Forecast
Operating Loss Carryforwards [Line Items]
Proceeds from Income Tax Refunds	$ 14

Leases - Additional Information

Leases - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Option to extend leases	5 years		5 years
Option to terminate leases			1 year
Operating lease costs	$ 4,800	$ 3,700	$ 14,400	$ 9,500
Short-term lease costs	$ 100	$ 100	$ 400	$ 200
Minimum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Remaining lease terms	1 year		1 year
Maximum
Lessee, Lease, Description [Line Items]
Remaining lease terms	20 years		20 years

Leases - Information Related to

Leases - Information Related to Operating Leases (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Right-of-use assets	$ 51,279	$ 128,192
Other current liabilities	10,867	15,051
Operating lease liabilities	$ 40,171	$ 113,648
Weighted Average Remaining Lease Term	7 years 5 months 15 days	12 years 7 months 2 days
Weighted Average Discount Rate	6.03%	5.19%

Leases - Lease Cost Information

Leases - Lease Cost Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Leases [Abstract]
Cash paid for amounts included in the measurement of lease liabilities	$ 4,351	$ 3,568	$ 12,689	$ 9,316
Right-of-use assets obtained in exchange for lease obligations	$ 2,713	$ 2,188	$ 4,455	$ 3,330

Leases - Minimum Lease Payments

Leases - Minimum Lease Payments (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Leases [Abstract]
Remainder of 2020	$ 5,989
2021	9,901
2022	8,758
2023	8,774
2024	7,430
Thereafter	22,999
Total future minimum lease payments	63,851
Less: Imputed interest	(12,813)
Total	$ 51,038

Goodwill and Other Intangible_3

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Goodwill (Details) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning balance	$ 1,462,593
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	(237,914)
Goodwill net, beginning balance	1,224,679
Goodwill, Gross	1,462,593
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	237,914
Goodwill	1,224,679
Local Media
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning balance	1,143,859
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	(216,914)
Goodwill net, beginning balance	926,945
Goodwill, Gross	1,143,859
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	216,914
Goodwill	926,945
National Media
Goodwill [Roll Forward]
Goodwill, gross, beginning balance	318,734
Accumulated impairment losses, beginning balance	(21,000)
Goodwill net, beginning balance	297,734
Goodwill, Gross	318,734
Goodwill, Impaired, Accumulated Impairment Loss	21,000
Goodwill	$ 297,734

Goodwill and Other Intangible_4

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Summary of other intangible assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Carrying amount:
Total carrying amount	$ 823,180	$ 823,500
Accumulated amortization:
Total accumulated amortization	(190,729)	(148,740)
Net amortizable intangible assets	632,451	674,760
Indefinite-lived intangible assets — FCC licenses	349,915	385,915
Total other intangible assets	982,366	1,060,675
Television network affiliation relationships
Carrying amount:
Total carrying amount	616,244	616,244
Accumulated amortization:
Total accumulated amortization	(106,258)	(82,917)
Customer lists and advertiser relationships
Carrying amount:
Total carrying amount	102,900	104,300
Accumulated amortization:
Total accumulated amortization	(50,305)	(42,012)
Other
Carrying amount:
Total carrying amount	104,036	102,956
Accumulated amortization:
Total accumulated amortization	$ (34,166)	$ (23,811)

Goodwill and Other Intangible_5

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Apr. 04, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Dec. 31, 2019
Payments to Acquire Intangible Assets		$ 1,480	$ 24,475
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses		349,915		$ 385,915
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross		823,180		823,500
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Remainder of Fiscal Year		14,400
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year One		55,300
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Two		49,800
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Three		44,300
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Four		42,700
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, Year Five		40,000
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Amortization Expense, after Year Five		386,000
Goodwill		1,201,533		1,224,679
Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Payments to Acquire Intangible Assets	$ 23,600
Local Media
Goodwill		$ 903,815		926,945
Goodwill, Percentage Of Consolidated Goodwill Total		75.00%
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses
Intangible Asset, Sensitivity Analysis of Fair Value, Impact Of 50 Basis Point Increase In Discount Rate				65,000
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses | Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Indefinite-lived intangible assets - FCC licenses	19,200
Other intangible asset
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross		$ 104,036		$ 102,956
Other intangible asset | Series of Individually Immaterial Business Acquisitions
Finite-Lived Intangible Assets, Gross	$ 4,100
Other Reporting Units
Reporting Unit, Percentage of Fair Value in Excess of Carrying Amount				30.00%
Local Media
Reporting Unit, Percentage of Fair Value in Excess of Carrying Amount				25.00%

Long-Term Debt - Components of

Long-Term Debt - Components of Long-Term Debt (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands		Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019	May 01, 2019	Apr. 28, 2017
Components of Long-term debt
Total outstanding principal		$ 1,944,563	$ 1,952,522
Less: Debt issuance costs and issuance discounts		(33,090)	(37,492)
Less: Current portion		(10,612)	(10,612)
Long-term debt (less current portion)		1,900,861	1,904,418
Fair value of long-term debt	[1]	1,897,141	1,991,164
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2025 | Senior unsecured notes
Components of Long-term debt
Total outstanding principal		400,000	400,000
Less: Debt issuance costs and issuance discounts					$ (7,000)
Senior unsecured notes, due 2027 | Senior unsecured notes
Components of Long-term debt
Total outstanding principal		500,000	500,000
Term Loan B, Maturing 2024
Components of Long-term debt
Total outstanding principal		291,000	293,250
Term Loan B, Maturing 2026
Components of Long-term debt
Total outstanding principal		753,563	759,272
Less: Debt issuance costs and issuance discounts				$ (23,000)
Revolving credit facility | Amended and restated revolving credit facility
Components of Long-term debt
Total outstanding principal		$ 0	$ 0
[1]	Fair values of the 2025 and 2027 Senior Notes are estimated based on quoted private market transactions and are classified as Level 1 in the fair value hierarchy. The fair values of the term loans are based on observable estimates provided by third party financial professionals, and as such, are classified within Level 2 of the fair value hierarchy.

Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Det

Long-Term Debt - Narrative (Details)	Nov. 05, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 18, 2019	Jul. 26, 2019USD ($)	May 01, 2019USD ($)	Apr. 04, 2018	Oct. 02, 2017USD ($)	Apr. 28, 2017USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2019USD ($)	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt issuance costs								$ 33,090,000	$ 37,492,000
Total outstanding principal								1,944,563,000	1,952,522,000
Subsequent Event
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Repurchase Amount If Pending Acquisition Does Not Close	$ 100,000,000
Debt Instrument, Repurchase Amount If Pending Acquisition Closes	$ 500,000,000
Senior unsecured notes, due in 2025 | Senior unsecured notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face value							$ 400,000,000
Debt stated rate							5.125%
Issuance price of debt							100.00%
Debt issuance costs							$ 7,000,000
Total outstanding principal								400,000,000	400,000,000
Senior unsecured notes, due 2027 | Senior unsecured notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total outstanding principal								$ 500,000,000	$ 500,000,000
Senior unsecured notes, due 2027 | Senior Notes
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face value			$ 500,000,000
Debt stated rate			5.875%
Issuance price of debt			100.00%
Debt issuance costs			$ 10,700,000
Redemption as a percent of principal			40.00%
Senior unsecured notes, due 2027 | Senior Notes | Redemption Period One
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt redemption price			105.875%
Senior unsecured notes, due 2027 | Senior Notes | Redemption Period Two
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt redemption price			100.00%
Term Loan B, Maturing 2024
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face value						$ 300,000,000
Interest rate reduction					25.00%
Net leverage ratio requirement						2.75
Annual principal payments						$ 3,000,000
Variable interest rate								2.15%	3.80%
Weighted average interest rate								2.16%		4.25%
Total outstanding principal								$ 291,000,000	$ 293,250,000
Term Loan B, Maturing 2024 | Minimum | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range						2.00%
Term Loan B, Maturing 2024 | Maximum | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range						1.75%
Term Loan B, Maturing 2026
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt face value				$ 765,000,000
Debt issuance costs				23,000,000
Interest rate reduction		25.00%
Annual principal payments				$ 7,600,000
Variable interest rate								2.65%	4.30%
Weighted average interest rate								2.66%		5.00%
Total outstanding principal								$ 753,563,000	$ 759,272,000
Term Loan B, Maturing 2026 | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range		2.50%		2.75%
Amended and restated revolving credit facility | Revolving credit facility
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Net leverage ratio requirement								4.5
Weighted average interest rate								2.46%
Revolving credit and term loan agreement							$ 210,000,000
Total outstanding principal								$ 0	0
Amended and restated revolving credit facility | Revolving credit facility | Minimum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of commitment fees of total unused commitment under revolving credit facility								0.30%
Amended and restated revolving credit facility | Revolving credit facility | Minimum | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range							1.75%
Amended and restated revolving credit facility | Revolving credit facility | Maximum
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Percentage of commitment fees of total unused commitment under revolving credit facility								0.50%
Amended and restated revolving credit facility | Revolving credit facility | Maximum | LIBOR
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
LIBOR plus margin range							2.50%
Amended and restated revolving credit facility | Letter of Credit
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Letters of credit outstanding									$ 6,000,000	$ 6,000,000

Other Liabilities (Details)

Other Liabilities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Other liabilities
Employee compensation and benefits	$ 35,098	$ 21,403
Deferred FCC repack income	44,752	36,770
Programming liability	38,632	57,291
Liability for pension benefits	158,815	190,219
Other	10,286	10,265
Other liabilities (less current portion)	$ 287,583	$ 315,948

Supplemental Cash Flow Inform_3

Supplemental Cash Flow Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Other Changes in Certain Working Capital Accounts, Net
Accounts receivable	$ 5,822	$ (20,542)
Other current assets	7,366	(7,084)
Accounts payable	30,212	15,156
Accrued employee compensation and benefits	(4,527)	(4,769)
Accrued interest	(1,323)	10,508
Other accrued liabilities	(2,812)	(4,004)
Unearned revenue	23,806	(2,501)
Other, net	(128)	(17,522)
Total	$ 58,416	$ (30,758)

Employee Benefit Plans - Compon

Employee Benefit Plans - Components of Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Net periodic benefit cost	$ 4,336	$ 4,818	$ 13,930	$ 12,743
Continuing Operations
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Net periodic benefit cost	4,165	4,715	13,433	12,450
Disposed of by sale | Discontinued Operations
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Net periodic benefit cost	171	103	497	293
Defined contribution plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Net periodic benefit cost	3,060	2,743	10,541	7,433
Multi-employer plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Net periodic benefit cost	15	4	76	103
Defined benefit plans
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Interest cost	5,014	5,865	14,849	17,465
Expected return on plan assets, net of expenses	(5,250)	(4,865)	(15,762)	(14,981)
Amortization of actuarial loss and prior service cost	1,255	823	3,504	1,967
Total for defined benefit pension plan	1,019	1,823	2,591	4,451
SERPs
Defined Benefit Plan, Net Periodic Benefit Cost (Credit) [Abstract]
Net periodic benefit cost	$ 242	$ 248	$ 722	$ 756

Employee Benefit Plans - Narrat

Employee Benefit Plans - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)
SERPs
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contributions to benefit plan	$ 0.8
Estimated future contributions	0.5
Defined benefit plans
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Contributions to benefit plan	29.7
Estimated future contributions	$ 2.9

Segment Information - Narrative

Segment Information - Narrative (Details) - Local Media	Sep. 30, 2020affiliatelow_power_stationstation
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number Of Local Broadcast Stations | station	60
Number of low power stations operated | low_power_station	9
ABC affiliates
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of affiliates	18
NBC affiliates
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of affiliates	11
CBS affiliates
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of affiliates	9
FOX affiliates
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of affiliates	4
CW affiliates
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of affiliates	13
Number Of Full Power Stations | station	5
Number Of Multicast | station	8
My TV Affiliates
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of affiliates	2
Independent station
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Number of affiliates	2

Segment Information - Schedule

Segment Information - Schedule of Business Segments (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Information regarding business segments
Total operating revenues	$ 493,262	$ 330,857	$ 1,266,368	$ 928,344
Segment profit (loss)	107,233	5,555	129,707	39,531
Acquisition and related integration costs	(10,928)	(16,736)	(16,059)	(23,004)
Restructuring costs	0	(27)	0	(1,922)
Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets	(26,856)	(21,661)	(80,846)	(58,199)
Gains (losses), net on disposal of property and equipment	2,012	11	(728)	(306)
Interest expense	(21,387)	(26,537)	(70,184)	(53,476)
Defined benefit pension plan expense	(1,261)	(2,071)	(3,313)	(5,207)
Miscellaneous, net	1,488	2,042	1,050	1,611
Income (loss) from continuing operations before income taxes	86,073	(21,011)	57,260	(17,541)
Depreciation:
Total depreciation	12,568	9,833	38,315	28,458
Amortization of intangible assets:
Total amortization of intangible assets	14,288	11,828	42,531	29,741
Additions to property and equipment:
Total additions to property and equipment	10,638	11,292	39,117	42,561
Local Media
Information regarding business segments
Total operating revenues	403,769	252,392	1,002,320	692,494
Segment profit (loss)	144,561	49,678	232,798	138,180
Depreciation:
Total depreciation	10,455	8,197	32,719	24,179
Amortization of intangible assets:
Total amortization of intangible assets	9,133	7,438	28,453	16,864
Additions to property and equipment:
Total additions to property and equipment	9,134	8,460	35,351	30,351
National Media
Information regarding business segments
Total operating revenues	89,413	78,285	260,835	231,937
Segment profit (loss)	12,138	9,727	39,879	31,414
Depreciation:
Total depreciation	1,691	1,233	4,328	3,090
Amortization of intangible assets:
Total amortization of intangible assets	4,816	4,052	13,063	11,862
Additions to property and equipment:
Total additions to property and equipment	1,375	2,150	3,416	10,712
Other
Information regarding business segments
Total operating revenues	80	180	3,213	3,913
Segment profit (loss)	(1,566)	(1,270)	(1,632)	(3,188)
Depreciation:
Total depreciation	76	43	154	120
Additions to property and equipment:
Total additions to property and equipment	51	308	56	518
Shared services and corporate
Information regarding business segments
Segment profit (loss)	(12,128)	(14,167)	(43,705)	(43,444)
Depreciation:
Total depreciation	346	360	1,114	1,069
Amortization of intangible assets:
Total amortization of intangible assets	339	338	1,015	1,015
Additions to property and equipment:
Total additions to property and equipment	$ 78	$ 374	$ 294	$ 980

Segment Information - Disaggreg

Segment Information - Disaggregation of Revenue Generating Activities (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 493,262	$ 330,857	$ 1,266,368	$ 928,344
Core advertising
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	221,713	210,621	638,275	587,073
Political
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	98,313	5,037	131,749	8,033
Retransmission and carriage
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	153,888	97,128	437,121	277,736
Other
Disaggregation of Revenue [Line Items]
Total operating revenues	$ 19,348	$ 18,071	$ 59,223	$ 55,502

Capital Stock (Details)

Capital Stock (Details)	9 Months Ended		40 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020USD ($)directorcommon_share	Sep. 30, 2019USD ($)$ / shares	Feb. 29, 2020USD ($)	Feb. 28, 2020USD ($)	Nov. 30, 2016USD ($)
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Classes of common shares | common_share	2
Stock repurchased during period, value		$ 584,000
Minimum
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Minimum number of directors up for election to entitle shareholders to vote | director	0.3333
Maximum
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Minimum number of directors up for election to entitle shareholders to vote | director	3
Common stock, Class A
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchase program, authorized amount				$ 100,000,000	$ 100,000,000
Stock repurchased during period, value	$ 0	$ 600,000	$ 50,300,000
Common stock, Class A | Minimum
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchased during period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 15.54
Common stock, Class A | Maximum
Class of Stock [Line Items]
Stock repurchased during period (in dollars per share) | $ / shares		$ 18.72

Accumulated Other Comprehensi_3

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	$ (97,176)	$ (94,476)	$ (98,989)	$ (95,397)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	0	0	0	0
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax	(1,008)	(648)	(2,821)	(1,569)
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	1,008	648	2,821	1,569
Ending balance	(96,168)	(93,828)	(96,168)	(93,828)
Defined Benefit Pension Items
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(96,933)	(94,444)	(98,734)	(95,365)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	0	0	0	0
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax	(1,002)	(648)	(2,803)	(1,569)
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	1,002	648	2,803	1,569
Ending balance	(95,931)	(93,796)	(95,931)	(93,796)
Actuarial gain (loss) tax amount	317	218	891	528
Other
Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss [Roll Forward]
Beginning balance	(243)	(32)	(255)	(32)
Other comprehensive income (loss) before reclassifications	0	0	0	0
Amounts reclassified from AOCI, net of tax	(6)	0	(18)	0
Net current-period other comprehensive income (loss)	6	0	18	0
Ending balance	$ (237)	$ (32)	$ (237)	$ (32)

Assets Held for Sale and Disc_3

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations - Additional Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Millions	Jul. 10, 2020	Dec. 31, 2020
Subsequent Event | Scenario, Forecast | Nexstar Media Group, Inc.
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Proceeds from Divestiture of Businesses and Interests in Affiliates		$ 75
Disposed of by sale | Stitcher Podcasting Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Consideration	$ 325
Proceeds from Divestiture of Interest in Consolidated Subsidiaries	265
Disposed of by sale | Earnout | Stitcher Podcasting Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Earnout Based 2020 Financial Results	30
Disposed of by sale | Earnout Based On 2021 Financial Results | Stitcher Podcasting Business
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Group, Including Discontinued Operation, Earnout Based 2020 Financial Results	$ 30

Assets Held for Sale and Disc_4

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations - Operating Results of Discontinued Operations (Details) - Disposed of by sale - Stitcher Podcasting Business - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2020	Sep. 30, 2019
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Operating revenues	$ 19,956	$ 18,937	$ 53,652	$ 51,108
Total costs and expenses	(27,043)	(23,414)	(72,106)	(65,758)
Depreciation and amortization of intangible assets		(580)	(1,157)	(2,071)
Other, net	(33)		(139)
Loss from discontinued operations before income taxes	(7,120)	(5,057)	(19,750)	(16,721)
Benefit for income taxes	(1,665)	(628)	(5,153)	(2,634)
Net loss from discontinued operations	$ (5,455)	$ (4,429)	$ (14,597)	$ (14,087)

Assets Held for Sale and Disc_5

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations - Summary of Assets Held For Sale (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Assets
Total assets of discontinued operations	$ 102,511	$ 101,266
Disposed of by sale
Assets
Total current assets	33,263	34,793
Investments	125	178
Property and equipment	5,488	5,526
Goodwill and intangible assets	47,507	48,292
Operating lease right-of-use assets	9,579	10,448
Other assets	6,549	2,029
Liabilities:
Total current liabilities	19,708	22,727
Disposed of by sale | Stitcher Podcasting Business
Assets
Total assets of discontinued operations	102,511	101,266
Total current liabilities	10,912	10,175
Liabilities:
Total current liabilities	19,708	22,727
Other liabilities	8,796	12,552
Net assets of discontinued operations	$ 82,803	$ 78,539

Assets Held for Sale and Disc_6

Assets Held for Sale and Discontinued Operations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Sep. 30, 2020	Dec. 31, 2019
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Total assets held for sale	$ 102,511	$ 101,266
Disposed of by sale
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Property and equipment	5,488	5,526
Operating lease right-of-use assets	9,579	10,448
Other assets	6,549	2,029
Total current liabilities	19,708	22,727
Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Total current liabilities	79,613	$ 0
WPIX | Disposal Group, Held-for-sale, Not Discontinued Operations
Income Statement, Balance Sheet and Additional Disclosures by Disposal Groups, Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Property and equipment	16,721
Goodwill	24,997
Other intangible assets	37,120
Operating lease right-of-use assets	71,071
Total current liabilities	6,326
Other assets	5,714
Total assets held for sale	155,623
Total current liabilities	79,613
Operating lease liabilities	72,231
Other liabilities	1,056
Net assets held for sale	$ 76,010