Pensions And Other Employee Benefits Plans (Fair Values Of Pension Plan Assets) (Details) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	$ 20,207,000		$ 299,292,000
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	100.00%		100.00%
Expiration of lock-up period	P1Y
Parent Company [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Remaining outstanding commitment in private equity fund	67,000
Investments in venture capital fund	300,000
Real Estate Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Pension plan receivable	700,000
Private Equity Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Remaining outstanding commitment in private equity fund	1,150,000
Investments in venture capital fund	5,250,000.00000		6,450,000
Committed amount to invest in venture capital fund	10,000,000
Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	748,000		4,938,000
Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	16,971,000		239,923,000
Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	2,488,000		54,431,000
Equity Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	11,863,000		173,945,000
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	59.00%		58.00%
Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. Large Cap [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	4,580,000	[1]	60,813,000	[1]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	23.00%	[1]	20.00%	[1]
Equity Securities [Member] | U.S. Small Cap [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	1,257,000	[2]	18,010,000	[2]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	6.00%	[2]	6.00%	[2]
Equity Securities [Member] | Global [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	1,475,000	[3]	20,273,000	[3]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	7.00%	[3]	7.00%	[3]
Equity Securities [Member] | Non-U.S. [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	2,427,000	[4]	33,781,000	[4]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	12.00%	[4]	11.00%	[4]
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	748,000		4,938,000
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | U.S. Small Cap [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			3,901,000	[2]
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Non-U.S. [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			1,037,000	[4]
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	10,150,000		139,745,000
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | U.S. Large Cap [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	4,580,000	[1]	60,813,000	[1]
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | U.S. Small Cap [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	1,257,000	[2]	14,109,000	[2]
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Global [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	1,475,000	[3]	20,273,000	[3]
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Non-U.S. [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	2,427,000	[4]	32,744,000	[4]
Equity Securities [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	965,000		29,262,000
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Real Estate Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	411,000	[5]	17,689,000	[5]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	2.00%	[5]	6.00%	[5]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Receivable From Sale Of Real Estate [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	748,000	[6]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	4.00%	[6]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Private Equity Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	283,000		6,870,000	[6]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	2.00%		2.00%	[6]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Equity Long/Short Fund [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	682,000	[7]	16,509,000	[7]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	3.00%	[7]	6.00%	[7]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Receivable From Sale Of Real Estate [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	748,000	[6]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Real Estate Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	411,000	[5]	5,854,000	[5]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Private Equity Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			0	[6]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Equity Long/Short Fund [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			5,952,000	[7]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Real Estate Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			11,835,000	[5]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Private Equity Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	283,000		6,870,000	[6]
Alternative Equity Investments [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Equity Long/Short Fund [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	682,000	[7]	10,557,000	[7]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Distressed Opportunity Ltd. Partnership [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	299,000	[8]	5,217,000	[9]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	1.00%	[8]	2.00%	[9]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Multi-Strategy Limited Partnerships [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	1,191,000	[8]	19,916,000	[8]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	6.00%	[8]	7.00%	[8]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Other Limited Partnership [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	33,000	[10]	36,000	[10]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	0.00%	[10]	0.00%	[10]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Multi-Strategy Limited Partnerships [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			0	[8]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Level 1 [Member] | Other Limited Partnership [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			0	[10]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Multi-Strategy Limited Partnerships [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			0	[8]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Other Limited Partnership [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			0	[10]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Distressed Opportunity Ltd. Partnership [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	299,000	[8]	5,217,000	[9]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Multi-Strategy Limited Partnerships [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	1,191,000	[8]	19,916,000	[8]
Alternative Fixed Income Investments [Member] | Level 3 [Member] | Other Limited Partnership [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	33,000	[10]	36,000	[10]
Fixed Income Securities [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	8,344,000		125,347,000	[10]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	41.00%		42.00%	[10]
Fixed Income Securities [Member] | Commingled Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	6,821,000		100,178,000	[11]
Pension plans' actual assets allocation	34.00%		33.00%	[11]
Fixed Income Securities [Member] | Level 1 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets			0	[10]
Fixed Income Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	6,821,000		100,178,000	[10]
Fixed Income Securities [Member] | Level 2 [Member] | Commingled Funds [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	6,821,000		100,178,000	[11]
Fixed Income Securities [Member] | Level 3 [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined benefit plan, fair value of plan assets	1,523,000		25,169,000	[10]
Discontinued Operations [Member]
Defined Benefit Plan Disclosure [Line Items]
Defined contribution plan, cost recognized	$ 10,200,000		$ 11,300,000		$ 9,800,000

[1] Investments in common stocks that rank among the largest 1,000 companies in the U.S. stock market.

[2] Investments in common stocks that rank among the small capitalization stocks in the U.S. stock market.

[3] Investments in common stocks across the world without being limited by national borders or to specific regions.

[4] Investments in common stocks of companies from developed and emerging countries outside the United States.

[5] Investments in real estate through both the private and public sector.  The pension plan is invested in two funds of funds.  One fund invests in global public real estate securities (REITs) while the second fund invests in private real estate investments. We informed the private real estate fund that we no longer wish to be invested in the fund after December 31, 2012. At December 31, 2012, the pension plan had a receivable from the private real estate fund of $0.7 million. Settlement of the receivable will occur in 2013 with the proceeds reinvested per our allocation guidelines. The private real estate fund was valued on a quarterly lag.

[6] Fund invests in portfolios of secondary interest in established venture capital, buyout, mezzanine and special situation funds on a global basis. The pension plan committed to invest up to $10 million in this fund.  The remaining outstanding commitment at December 31, 2012 is $1.15 million.  Loral’s portion of the remaining commitment is $0.067 million. The amount invested in the fund, net of distributions, is $5.25 million and $6.45 million at December 31, 2012 and 2011, respectively. Loral’s portion of the amount invested as of December 31, 2012 is $0.3 million. Fund is valued on a quarterly lag with adjustment for subsequent cash activity.

[7] Investments primarily in long and short positions in equity securities of U.S. and non-U.S. companies. At December 31, 2012, we are invested in one fund that has semi-annual tender offer redemption periods on June 30 and December 31 and is reported on a one month lag. During 2012, we sold out of the second fund that we were invested in at December 31, 2011 that had no limitations on redemptions and was reported on a current basis.

[8] Investments mainly in partnerships that have multi-strategy investment programs and do not rely on a single investment model.  In 2011, the pension plan invested in two limited partnerships that have multi-strategy investment programs.  One partnership has quarterly liquidation rights with notice of 65 days while the second partnership has monthly liquidation rights with notice of 33 days. Both funds are reported on a one month lag.

[9] Investments mainly in discounted debt securities, bank loans, trade claims and other debt and equity securities of financially troubled companies. This partnership has a one year lock-up period with semi-annual withdrawal rights on June 30 and December 31 thereafter. As of December 31, 2012, no amount was subject to a lock-up period. This fund is reported on a one month lag.

[10] The pension plan invested in other partnerships that have reached their end of life and have closed and are unwinding their holdings. Mainly partnerships that provided mezzanine financing.

[11] Investments in bonds representing many sectors of the broad bond market with both short-term and intermediate-term maturities.