| **Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows and Supplemental Disclosures**         | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
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| **Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Supplemental Disclosures [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Supplemental Disclosures [Text Block]   | (2)       Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows Supplemental Disclosures

       Changes in operating assets and liabilities consist of the following (amounts in thousands):
 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2012 2011   Increase in accounts receivable, net$ (52,020)  (42,901)   Increase in prepaid expenses  (312)  (2,484)   Increase in inventories  (4,426)  (2,145)   Decrease in other current assets  1,167  282   Decrease in other assets  3,337  2,617   Increase (decrease) in accounts payable  (3,768)  10,517   Increase in deferred revenues  1,900  1,287   Decrease in accrued payroll and  payroll related obligations  (1,320)  (2,057)   Increase (decrease) in accrued liabilities  14,616  (1,338)   Increase in accrued interest  14,678  8,513   Increase (decrease) in subscriber deposits  (125)  33   Increase (decrease) in long-term deferred revenue  5,739  (575)   Decrease in components of other  long-term liabilities  (1,093)  (1,948)    $ (21,627)  (30,199) 
The following item is for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and2011(amounts in thousands):
   2012 2011  Interest paid, net of amounts capitalized$ 37,874  42,654
The following items are non-cash investing and financing activities for the nine months ended September 30, 2012 and 2011 (amounts in thousands):
   2012 2011 Non-cash additions for purchases of property and  equipment$ 7,390  11,481 Deferred compensation distribution denominated in  shares$ 511  - Asset retirement obligation additions to property and  equipment $ 644  222 Asset retirement obligation reductions to property and  equipment for revisions to previous estimates$ -  294 |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for 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 Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 5 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4332-108586Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Statement of Financial Accounting Standard (FAS) -Number 95 -Paragraph 32 -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.Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 4 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4313-108586Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 230 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 3 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6367179&loc=d3e4304-108586
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