| **Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) (Tables)**   | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
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| **Selected Quarterly Financial Data (Unaudited) [Abstract]** |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| ScheduleOfQuarterlyFinancialInformationTableTextBlock        |    FirstSecondThirdFourth QuarterQuarterQuarterQuarter2012     Total revenues$ 171,907 176,104 178,494 183,676Operating income$ 19,685 24,633 25,392 19,270Net income attributable to GCI$ 1,429 3,982 3,700 562Basic net income attributable   to GCI per common share$ 0.03 0.10 0.090.01Diluted net income attributable  to GCI per common share1$ 0.03 0.09 0.090.01       2011     Total revenues$ 164,777 168,089 177,703 168,812Operating income$ 20,262 22,300 31,933 16,030Net income (loss) attributable to GCI2$ 1,399 (2,043) 7,239 (870)Basic net income (loss) attributable   to GCI per common share  $ 0.03 (0.04) 0.16 (0.02)Diluted net income (loss) attributable  to GCI per common share1,2$ 0.02 (0.04) 0.15 (0.02)       1Due to rounding, the sum of quarterly diluted net income attributable to GCI per common share amounts does not agree to total year diluted net income attributable to GCI per common share.2Due to the immaterial error correction discussed in Note 1(af), some amounts are revised from prior period financial statements. |

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| - Details**Name:**us-gaap_QuarterlyFinancialInformationDisclosureAbstract**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**xbrli:stringItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |
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| - Definition
Tabular disclosure of the quarterly financial data in the annual financial statements. The disclosure includes financial information for each fiscal quarter for the current and previous year, including revenues, gross profit, income (loss) before extraordinary items and cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle and earnings per share data.
+ References
Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef -Publisher FASB -Name Accounting Standards Codification -Topic 270 -SubTopic 10 -Section 50 -Paragraph 1 -Subparagraph (a)-(j) -URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=20225539&loc=d3e1280-108306
+ Details**Name:**us-gaap_ScheduleOfQuarterlyFinancialInformationTableTextBlock**Namespace Prefix:**us-gaap_**Data Type:**nonnum:textBlockItemType**Balance Type:**na**Period Type:**duration |