| **Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and Supplemental Disclosure**         | 6 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
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| **Condensed Notes to Interim Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited)** | Â                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| Cash Flow Supplemental Disclosures Text Block                                | (2)       Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Supplemental Disclosures

       Changes in operating assets and liabilities consist of (amounts in thousands):

 
 Six month period ended June 30, 2011 2010   Increase in accounts receivable$ (27,245)  (7,534)   Increase in prepaid expenses  (3,191)  (2,903)   (Increase) decrease in inventories  (719)  3,609   Decrease in other current assets  206  314   Decrease in other assets  1,857  1,022   Increase in accounts payable  2,361  867   Increase in deferred revenues  864  1,040   Decrease in accrued payroll and payroll related  obligations  (1,559)  (2,893)   Increase in accrued liabilities  134  3,472   Decrease in accrued interest  (6,130)  (1,393)   Decrease in subscriber deposits  (49)  (191)   Increase (decrease) in long-term deferred revenue  7,470  (1,282)   Decrease in components of other long-term  liabilities  (1,995)  (562)    $ (27,996)  (6,434) 
The following items are for the six months endedJune 30, 2011 and 2010 (amounts in thousands):

 
 Net cash paid or received: 2011 2010  Interest paid, net of amounts capitalized$ 40,614  35,740  Income tax refund received$ -  1,163
The following items are non-cash investing and financing activities for the six months ended June 30, 2011 and 2010 (amounts in thousands):

 
   2011 2010  Non-cash additions for purchases of property and  equipment$ 9,388  5,842  Asset retirement obligation additions to property and  equipment $ 123  570  Asset retirement obligation reductions to property and  equipment for revisions to previous estimates$ 294  -  Write-off of original issue discount on 2014 Notes$ 1,530  -  |

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| - Definition
Designated to encapsulate the entire footnote disclosure that provides information on the supplemental cash flow activities, including cash, noncash, and part noncash transactions, for the period. Noncash is defined as information about all investing and financing activities of an enterprise during a period that affect recognized assets or liabilities but that do not result in cash receipts or cash payments in the period. "Part noncash" refers to that portion of the transaction not resulting in cash receipts or cash payments in the period.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 95 -Paragraph 32
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