|**Non-controlling Interests**            | 3 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             
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|**Non-controlling Interests [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            
|Non-controlling Interests [Text Block]   | (7)Non-controllingInterestsWehaveentered intoseveralarrangementsunder theNew Markets Tax Credit (“NMTC”)program with US Bancorp to help fund a $59.3million project to extend terrestrial broadband service for the first time to rural Northwestern Alaska communities via a high capacity hybrid fiber optic and microwave network.When completed, the project, called TERRA-Northwest (“TERRA-NW”), will connect to theTERRA-Southwest (“TERRA-SW”)network and provide a high capacity backbone connection from the served communities to the Internet.The NMTC program was provided for in the Community Renewal Tax Relief Act of 2000 (the “Act”) to induce capital investment in qualified lower income communities.  The Act permits taxpayers to claim credits against their federal income taxes for up to 39% of qualified investments in the equity of community development entities (“CDEs”).  CDEs are privately managed investment institutions that are certified to make qualified low-income community investments.On August 30, 2011, we entered into the first arrangement (“NMTC #1”).  On October 3, 2012, we entered into the second arrangement (“NMTC #2”).  On December 11, 2012, we entered into the third arrangement (“NMTC #3”)US Bancorpis the sole investor in TIF, TIF 2, TIF 2-USB and TIF 3, and as such, is entitled to substantially all of the benefits derived from the NMTCs.  All of the loan proceeds to Unicom, Inc. (“Unicom”), our wholly owned subsidiary, net of syndication and arrangement fees, are restricted for use on TERRA-NW.  Restricted cash of $26.8million and $30.9million was held by Unicom atMarch31, 2013andDecember 31,2012, respectively, and is included in our Consolidated Balance Sheets.  We began construction on TERRA-NW in 2012 and expect to complete allcurrentphases of the project in 2014.We began offering service on Phase 1 of this new facility on January 3, 2013.Thesetransactionsinclude put/call provisionswhereby we may be obligated or entitled to repurchase US Bancorp's interestsin TIF, TIF 2, TIF 2-USB and/or TIF 3. We believe that US Bancorp will exercise the put optionsin August 2018, October 2019 and December 2019,at the end of the compliance periods for NMTC #1, NMTC #2 and NMTC #3, respectively.  The NMTCsaresubject to 100% recapture for a period of seven years as provided in the Internal Revenue Code.  We are required to be in compliance with various regulations and contractual provisions that apply to the NMTC arrangements.  Non-compliance with applicable requirements could result in projected tax benefits not being realized by US Bancorp.  We haveagreed to indemnifyUS Bancorp for any loss or recapture of NMTCs until such time as our obligation to deliver tax benefits is relieved.There have been no credit recaptures as ofMarch31, 2013.The value attributed to the puts/callsis nominal.We have determined that TIF, TIF 2, TIF 2-USB and TIF 3 areVIEs.  The ongoing activities of the VIEs– collecting and remitting interest and fees and NMTC compliance – were all considered in the initial design and are not expected to significantly affect economic performance throughout the life of the VIEs.  Management considered the contractual arrangements that obligate us to deliver tax benefits and provide various other guarantees to US Bancorp; US Bancorp's lack of a material interest in the underlying economics of the project; and the fact that we are obligated to absorb losses of the VIEs.  We concluded that wearethe primary beneficiaryof eachand consolidated the VIEsin accordance with the accounting standard for consolidation.US Bancorp's contributions, net of syndication fees and other direct costs incurred in structuring theNMTCarrangements,areincluded in Non-controlling Interestson the Consolidated Balance Sheets.  Incremental costs to maintain the structure during the compliance period are recognized as incurred to selling, general and administrative expense.The following table summarizes the impact of the VIEsconsolidated as ofMarch31, 2013andDecember 31,2012(amountsin thousands):March 31, 2013AssetsEquityCarrying ValueClassificationCarrying ValueClassification$18,181Restricted cash1$32,141Non-controlling interests14,774Construction in progress814Retained earnings attributable to
 General Communication, Inc.
 common stockholders$32,955$32,955December 31, 2012AssetsEquityCarrying ValueClassificationCarrying ValueClassification$22,348Restricted cash1$32,258Non-controlling interests10,607Construction in progress697Retained earnings attributable to
 General Communication, Inc.
 common stockholders$32,955$32,9551An additional $8.6 million in restricted cash is held at Unicom for use only on TERRA-NW.
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X- DefinitionThe entire disclosure for noncontrolling interest in consolidated subsidiaries, which could include the name of the subsidiary, the ownership percentage held by the parent, the ownership percentage held by the noncontrolling owners, the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the location of this amount on the balance sheet (when not reported separately), an explanation of the increase or decrease in the amount of the noncontrolling interest, the noncontrolling interest share of the net Income or Loss of the subsidiary, the location of this amount on the income statement (when not reported separately), the nature of the noncontrolling interest such as background information and terms, the amount of the noncontrolling interest represented by preferred stock, a description of the preferred stock, and the dividend requirements of the preferred stock.+ ReferencesReference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 210 -SubTopic 10 -Section S99 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.31) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 810 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1A -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733093&loc=SL4573702-111684Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher AICPA -Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB) -Number 51 -Paragraph 38 -LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009.  This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.+ Details**Name:**
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