| **Intangible Assets and Goodwill** | 12 Months Ended                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
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| **Intangible Assets [Abstract]**   |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| Intangible Assets [Text Block]     | (5)       Intangible Assets and Goodwill

As of October 31, 2012, cable certificates, wireless licenses and goodwill were tested for impairment and the fair values were greater than the carrying amounts, therefore these intangible assets were determined not to be impaired at December 31, 2012.  The remaining useful lives of our cable certificates, wireless licenses, and goodwill were evaluated as of October 31, 2012, and events and circumstances continue to support an indefinite useful life.There are no indicators of impairment of our intangible assets subject to amortization as of December 31, 2012. 

 

Other Intangible Assets subject to amortization include the following at December 31, 2012 and 2011 (amounts in thousands):
   2012 2011 Software license fees$ 35,416  30,392 Customer relationships  3,036  4,435 Right-of-way  783  783    39,235  35,610 Less accumulated amortization  22,675  19,775 Net other intangible assets$ 16,560  15,835
Changes in Other Intangible Assets are as follows (amounts in thousands):
 Balance at December 31, 2010$ 17,717 Asset additions  4,157 Less amortization expense  6,039 Balance at December 31, 2011  15,835 Asset additions  5,952 Less amortization expense  5,227 Balance at December 31, 2012$ 16,560    
Goodwill increased $2.4 million at December 31, 2012, as compared to December 31, 2011, and $951,000 at December 31, 2011, as compared to December 31, 2010, due to contingent payments to the former shareholders of United Utilities, Inc. (“UUI”), our wholly owned subsidiary.  The amount recorded at December 31, 2012, is the final contingent payment under this agreement.

 

Amortization expense for amortizable intangible assets for the years ended December 31, 2012,2011 and 2010follow (amounts in thousands):
   Years Ended December 31,   201220112010 Amortization expense$ 5,227 6,039 6,360
Amortization expense for amortizable intangible assets for each of the five succeeding fiscal years is estimated to be (amounts in thousands):
 Years Ending December 31,   2013$ 5,098 2014  4,242 2015  3,090 2016  1,473 2017  582 |

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| - Definition
The entire disclosure for the aggregate amount of goodwill and a description of intangible assets, which may include (a) for amortizable intangible assets (also referred to as finite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, the amount of any significant residual value, and the weighted-average amortization period, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization (also referred to as indefinite-lived intangible assets), the carrying amount, and (c) the amount of research and development assets acquired and written off in the period, including the line item in the income statement in which the amounts written off are aggregated, if not readily apparent from the income statement. Also discloses (a) for amortizable intangibles assets in total and by major class, the gross carrying amount and accumulated amortization, the total amortization expense for the period, and the estimated aggregate amortization expense for each of the five succeeding fiscal years, (b) for intangible assets not subject to amortization the carrying amount in total and by major class, and (c) for goodwill, in total and for each reportable segment, the changes in the carrying amount of goodwill during the period (including the aggregate amount of goodwill acquired, the aggregate amount of impairment losses recognized, and the amount of goodwill included in the gain (loss) on disposal of a reporting unit). If any part of goodwill has not been allocated to a reportable segment, discloses the unallocated amount and the reasons for not allocating. For each impairment loss recognized related to an intangible asset (excluding goodwill), discloses: (a) a description of the impaired intangible asset and the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method for determining fair value, (c) the caption in the income statement or the statement of activities in which the impairment loss is aggregated, and (d) the segment in which the impaired intangible asset is reported. For each goodwill impairment loss recognized, discloses: (a) a description of the facts and circumstances leading to the impairment, (b) the amount of the impairment loss and the method of determining the fair value of the associated reporting unit, and (c) if a recognized impairment loss is an estimate not finalized and the reasons why the estimate is not final.  May also disclose the nature and amount of any significant adjustments made to a previous estimate of an impairment loss.
+ References
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