Investments in Affiliates (Details Textual)			3 Months Ended					6 Months Ended			12 Months Ended		6 Months Ended	12 Months Ended			1 Months Ended		1 Months Ended			6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2012 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)	Mar. 28, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 28, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] CAD	Mar. 31, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] CAD	Jun. 30, 2011 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] CAD	Jun. 30, 2011 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] USD ($)	May 14, 2012 Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] Private Placement [Member] USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2012 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2009 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($) Y	Dec. 31, 2011 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2008 XTAR, LLC [Member] USD ($)	May 31, 2012 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] Private Placement [Member]	May 14, 2012 Senior Note Due 2017 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member] Private Placement [Member]	May 31, 2012 Senior Note Due 2015 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member]	May 14, 2012 Senior Note Due 2015 [Member] Telesat Holdings Inc. [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Notes Indenture [Member]	Jun. 30, 2012 Estimated Useful Life Of Satellite (2022) [Member] XTAR, LLC [Member]
Investments in affiliates (Textual) [Abstract]
Sale premium received on sale of net assets to affiliate											$ 13,000,000
Recognition of Intercompany profit previously eliminated											5,000,000
Elimination of share (economic interest) of profit on sale of net assets to affiliate											11,000,000
Gain on sales of net asset to affiliate after intercompany profit elimination							7,000,000			7,000,000
Gain on sales of net asset to affiliate after intercompany profit elimination, discontinued operations.							1,800,000			1,800,000
Discontinued operation equity method investment realized gain loss on disposal								1,800,000
Profits recognized on affiliate sales eliminated in earlier periods								4,600,000
Voting interests, affiliates								33.33%	33.33%
Economic interest in affiliates								64.00%	64.00%		64.00%
Maximum borrowing under credit agreement			2,550,000,000
Increase in indebtedness			490,000,000
Deferred financing cost written-off on debt refinancing			22,000,000
Distributions declared to shareholders, option holders and certain employees									656,500,000
Distribution declared to Loral									420,000,000
Distribution to Loral			376,000,000	375,000,000
Future distribution by equity method investee to Loral								46,000,000	45,000,000
Inestments in Equity Method Affiliates	65,982,000	446,235,000						0			377,244,000		65,982,000		68,991,000
Unrecognized losses of Equity Method Investment	41,000,000
Promissory note issued						146,000,000
Promissory note - minimum redemption					50.00%	50.00%
Promissory note - minimum redemption date					Mar. 28, 2014	Mar. 28, 2014
Promissory note, Maturity date					Mar. 28, 2016	Mar. 28, 2016
Promissory note, stated interest rate, year 1 and 2					9.75%	9.75%
Promissory note, stated interest rate, minimum interest after year 2					11.00%	11.00%
Future distributions to executives and certain employees of equity method investee				48,600,000
Senior note												700,000,000
Interest on senior notes																		6.00%		11.00%	12.50%
Maturity date																	May 15, 2017		Nov. 01, 2015
Debt to EBITDA ratio required for payment of consulting fee to investor								500.00%	500.00%
Interest expense Multiplier to determine EBITDA available for dividend distribution								140.00%	140.00%
Payments received from affiliate from consulting fees and interest								1,600,000		1,600,000
Percentage rate of Joint venture													56.00%
Lease obligation													24,000,000
Maximum annual lease obligation													28,000,000
Useful life of the satellite estimated in year																						2022
Lease agreement, Past due														6,700,000		32,300,000
Deferred lease payments													5,000,000
Repayment term past due and deferred lease obligation, years														12
Discount rate for prepayment of restructured past due and deferred lease obligation													9.00%
Cumulative payments of restructured past due and deferred lease obligation													$ 16,700,000