| **Industry Segments Data (Tables)**                                                        | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
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| **Industry Segments Data [Abstract]**                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| Schedule of Segment Reporting Information, by Segment [Table Text Block]                   |                          ConsumerNetwork AccessCommercialManaged BroadbandRegulated OperationsTotal Reportable Segments 2012        Revenues:         Intersegment$ - 259 5,760 - 246 6,265  External  352,972 105,447 143,575 86,562 21,625 710,181   Total revenues  352,972 105,706 149,335 86,562 21,871 716,446 Cost of Goods Sold:         Intersegment  146 114 2,253 - 265 2,778  External  128,324 24,356 66,895 21,298 6,628 247,501   Total Cost of Goods Sold  128,470 24,470 69,148 21,298 6,893 250,279 Contribution:         Intersegment  (146) 145 3,507 - (19) 3,487  External  224,648 81,091 76,680 65,264 14,997 462,680   Total contribution  224,502 81,236 80,187 65,264 14,978 466,167 Less SG&A  139,191 26,841 42,014 24,087 11,115 243,248 Plus share-based  compensation  2,586 790 1,041 595 28 5,040 Plus non-cash contribution expense  533 169 156 102 - 960 Plus loss attributable to  non-controlling interests  - - - 867 - 867 Plus net income attributable  to equity investment  - - - 2 - 2 Plus accretion  282 89 83 54 - 508 Adjusted EBITDA$ 88,858 55,298 35,946 42,797 3,910 226,809            2011        Revenues:         Intersegment$ - - 5,710 - 607 6,317  External  352,574 105,456 136,101 63,248 22,002 679,381   Total revenues  352,574 105,456 141,811 63,248 22,609 685,698 Cost of Goods Sold:         Intersegment  - 600 2,283 - 561 3,444  External  110,693 28,744 65,170 17,021 5,771 227,399   Total Cost of Goods Sold  110,693 29,344 67,453 17,021 6,332 230,843 Contribution:         Intersegment  - (600) 3,427 - 46 2,873  External  241,881 76,712 70,931 46,227 16,231 451,982   Total contribution  241,881 76,112 74,358 46,227 16,277 454,855 Less SG&A  134,951 27,837 41,085 18,246 13,402 235,521 Plus share-based  compensation  3,457 1,214 1,276 657 16 6,620 Plus loss attributable to  non-controlling interest  - - - 238 - 238 Less loss attributable to  equity investment  - - - (297) - (297) Plus accretion  347 120 100 52 - 619 Adjusted EBITDA$ 110,734 50,209 31,222 28,631 2,845 223,641            2010        Revenues:         Intersegment$ - - 5,442 - 176 5,618  External  342,898 107,227 128,458 49,962 22,705 651,250   Total revenues  342,898 107,227 133,900 49,962 22,881 656,868 Cost of Goods Sold:         Intersegment  - 600 2,515 - 176 3,291  External  104,481 25,030 59,885 14,012 4,409 207,817   Total Cost of Goods Sold  104,481 25,630 62,400 14,012 4,585 211,108 Contribution:         Intersegment  - (600) 2,927 - - 2,327  External  238,417 82,197 68,573 35,950 18,296 443,433   Total contribution  238,417 81,597 71,500 35,950 18,296 445,760 Less SG&A  127,130 33,566 38,838 17,338 11,936 228,808 Plus share-based  compensation  3,361 1,598 1,117 651 6 6,733 Plus non-cash contribution  expense  (81) (41) (24) (14) - (160) Plus accretion  149 71 43 26 - 289 Adjusted EBITDA$ 114,716 50,259 30,871 19,275 6,366 221,487 |
| Reconciliation of Revenue from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block]                 |  Years Ended December 31, 201220112010 Reportable segment revenues$ 716,446 685,698 656,868 Less intersegment revenues eliminated in   consolidation  6,265 6,317 5,618  Consolidated revenues$ 710,181 679,381 651,250                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Reconciliation of Operating Profit (Loss) from Segments to Consolidated [Table Text Block] |  Years Ended December 31, 201220112010 Reportable segment Adjusted EBITDA$ 226,809 223,641 221,487 Less depreciation and amortization  expense  (130,452) (125,937) (126,699) Less share-based compensation  expense  (5,040) (6,620) (6,733) Plus (less) non-cash contribution expense  (960) - 160 Less net loss attributable to  non-controlling interests  (867) (238) - Plus net loss (income) attributable to  equity investment  (2) 297 - Less accretion expense  (508) (619) (289)  Consolidated operating income  88,980 90,524 87,926 Less other expense, net  (67,730) (77,633) (70,068)  Consolidated income before  income tax expense$ 21,250 12,891 17,858                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |

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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of  all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total profit or loss from reportable segments, to the entity's consolidated income before income taxes, extraordinary items, and discontinued operations.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of all significant reconciling items in the reconciliation of total revenues from reportable segments to the entity's consolidated revenues.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the profit or loss and total assets for each reportable segment. An entity discloses certain information on each reportable segment if the amounts (a) are included in the measure of segment profit or loss reviewed by the chief operating decision maker or (b) are otherwise regularly provided to the chief operating decision maker, even if not included in that measure of segment profit or loss.
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