| **Earnings (Loss) Per Common Share (Tables)**                                                          | 9 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                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| **Earnings Per Share [Abstract]**                                                                      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   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| Schedule of Earnings Per Share, Basic and Diluted [Table Text Block]                                   | Earnings (loss) per common share (“EPS”) and common shares used to calculate basic and diluted EPS consist of the following (amounts in thousands, except per share amounts): Three Months Ended September 30, 2016 2015 Class A Class B Class A Class BBasic net income (loss) per share:       Numerator:       Net income available to common stockholders$7,266 677 $16,213 1,418Less: Undistributed net income allocable to participating securities(386) — (920) —Undistributed net income allocable to common stockholders6,880 677 15,293 1,418Denominator:       Weighted average common shares outstanding32,033 3,154 34,031 3,155Basic net income attributable to GCI common stockholders per common share$0.21 0.21 $0.45 0.45 Three Months Ended September 30, 2016 2015 Class A Class B Class A Class BDiluted net loss per share:       Numerator:       Undistributed net income allocable to common stockholders for basic computation$6,880 677 $15,293 1,418Reallocation of undistributed earnings as a result of conversion of Class B to Class A shares677 — 1,418 —Reallocation of undistributed earnings as a result of conversion of dilutive securities141 (247) 22 (34)Effect of derivative instrument that may be settled in cash or shares(2,827) — (18) —Effect of share based compensation that may be settled in cash or shares(32) — 4 —Undistributed net income adjusted for allocation of undistributed earnings and effect of contracts that may be settled in cash or shares$4,839 430 $16,719 1,384Denominator:       Number of shares used in basic computation32,033 3,154 34,031 3,155Conversion of Class B to Class A common shares outstanding3,154 — 3,155 —Effect of derivative instrument that may be settled in cash or shares264 — 781 —Unexercised stock options1 — 122 —Effect of share based compensation that may be settled in cash or shares26 — 26 —Number of shares used in per share computation35,478 3,154 38,115 3,155Diluted net income attributable to GCI common stockholders per common share$0.14 0.14 $0.44 0.44 Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 2015 Class A Class B Class A Class BBasic net income (loss) per share:       Numerator:       Net income (loss) available to common stockholders$11,422 1,035 $(15,838) (1,427)Less: Undistributed net income allocable to participating securities(588) — — —Undistributed net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders10,834 1,035 (15,838) (1,427)Denominator:       Weighted average common shares outstanding33,008 3,154 35,037 3,158Basic net income (loss) attributable to GCI common stockholders per common share$0.33 0.33 $(0.45) (0.45) Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 2015 Class A Class B Class A Class BDiluted net loss per share:       Numerator:       Undistributed net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders for basic computation$10,834 1,035 $(15,838) (1,427)Reallocation of undistributed earnings (loss) as a result of conversion of Class B to Class A shares1,035 — (1,427) —Reallocation of undistributed earnings as a result of conversion of dilutive securities447 (787) — —Effect of derivative instrument that may be settled in cash or shares(9,327) — — —Effect of share based compensation that may be settled in cash or shares(93) — — —Undistributed net income (loss) adjusted for allocation of undistributed earnings (loss) and effect of contracts that may be settled in cash or shares$2,896 248 $(17,265) (1,427)Denominator:       Number of shares used in basic computation33,008 3,154 35,037 3,158Conversion of Class B to Class A common shares outstanding3,154 — 3,158 —Effect of derivative instrument that may be settled in cash or shares602 — — —Unexercised  stock options3 — — —Effect of share based compensation that may be settled in cash or shares26 — — —Number of shares used in per share computation36,793 3,154 38,195 3,158Diluted net income (loss) attributable to GCI common stockholders per common share$0.08 0.08 $(0.45) (0.45) |
| Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Table Text Block] | Weighted average shares associated with outstanding securities for the three and nine months ended September 30,2016 and 2015, which have been excluded from the computations of diluted EPS, because the effect of including these securities would have been anti-dilutive, consist of the following (shares, in thousands): Three Months Ended September 30, Nine Months Ended September 30, 2016 2015 2016 2015Derivative instrument that may be settled in cash or shares, the effect of which is anti-dilutive— — — 595Shares associated with anti-dilutive unexercised stock options— — — 120Share-based compensation that may be settled in cash or shares, the effect of which is anti-dilutive— — — 26Total excluded — — — 741                                                                                                                                                                                      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No definition available.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of securities (including those issuable pursuant to contingent stock agreements) that could potentially dilute basic earnings per share (EPS) in the future that were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because to do so would increase EPS amounts or decrease loss per share amounts for the period presented, by antidilutive securities.
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of an entity's basic and diluted earnings per share calculations, including a reconciliation of numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted per-share computations for income from continuing operations.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 260 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6371337&loc=d3e3550-109257
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