CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	$ (10,255)	$ (7,395)	$ (38,975)	$ 29,830
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			29,112	25,825
Amortization of debt financing costs			2,281	3,040
Amortization of content assets			28,569	20,564
Amortization of launch assets			7,468	0
Deferred income taxes			25,840	79,937
Gain on investment in affiliated company	0	0	0	(146,879)
Equity in income of affiliated company	0	0	0	(3,287)
Impairment of long-lived assets	0	0	313	0
Stock-based compensation and other non-cash compensation	37	760	127	2,895
Non-cash interest			15,069	19,123
Loss on retirement of debt	0	0	0	7,743
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable			(5,379)	(27,857)
Prepaid expenses and other assets			2,355	1,157
Other assets			(299)	3,402
Accounts payable			4,561	4,271
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries			0	0
Accrued interest			(709)	1,921
Accrued compensation and related benefits			315	292
Income taxes payable			(757)	603
Other liabilities			2,941	6,241
Payments for content assets			(43,618)	(12,761)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities of discontinued operations			(27)	290
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities			29,187	16,350
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment			(9,535)	(5,410)
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation			0	65,245
Proceeds from sales of investment securities			6,286	0
Purchases of investment securities			(629)	0
Investment in subsidiaries			0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities			(3,878)	59,835
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility			0	378,280
Repayment of credit facility			(4,829)	(355,611)
Debt refinancing and modification costs			(18)	(6,197)
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests			0	(54,595)
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member			0	2,776
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of Reach Media			0	(933)
Repurchase of common stock			0	(8,516)
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of TV One			(7,741)	(7,410)
Net cash flows used in financing activities			(12,588)	(52,206)
INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS			12,721	23,979
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period			35,939	9,192
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	48,660	33,171	48,660	33,171
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	11,296	10,959	27,678	26,421
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			5,450	6,140
Amortization of debt financing costs			0	0
Amortization of content assets			0	0
Amortization of launch assets			0
Deferred income taxes			0	0
Gain on investment in affiliated company				0
Equity in income of affiliated company				0
Impairment of long-lived assets	0		313
Stock-based compensation and other non-cash compensation			0	0
Non-cash interest			0	0
Loss on retirement of debt				0
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable			(1,391)	(789)
Prepaid expenses and other assets			1,687	327
Other assets			(114)	226
Accounts payable			436	591
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries			(32,584)	(33,184)
Accrued interest			0	0
Accrued compensation and related benefits			459	(456)
Income taxes payable			0	0
Other liabilities			(365)	(178)
Payments for content assets			0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities of discontinued operations			(163)	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities			1,406	(911)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment			0	0
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation				0
Proceeds from sales of investment securities			0
Purchases of investment securities			0
Investment in subsidiaries			0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities			0	0
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility				0
Repayment of credit facility			0	0
Debt refinancing and modification costs			0	0
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests				0
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member				0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of Reach Media			0	0
Repurchase of common stock				0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of TV One			0	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities			0	0
INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS			1,406	(911)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period			187	1,043
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	1,593	132	1,593	132
Radio One [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	(10,255)	(7,395)	(38,975)	29,830
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			23,662	19,685
Amortization of debt financing costs			2,281	3,040
Amortization of content assets			28,569	20,564
Amortization of launch assets			7,468
Deferred income taxes			25,840	79,937
Gain on investment in affiliated company				(146,879)
Equity in income of affiliated company				(3,287)
Impairment of long-lived assets	0		0
Stock-based compensation and other non-cash compensation			127	2,895
Non-cash interest			15,069	19,123
Loss on retirement of debt				7,743
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable			(3,988)	(27,059)
Prepaid expenses and other assets			668	830
Other assets			(185)	3,176
Accounts payable			4,125	3,680
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries			32,584	33,184
Accrued interest			(709)	1,921
Accrued compensation and related benefits			(144)	748
Income taxes payable			(757)	603
Other liabilities			3,306	6,419
Payments for content assets			(43,618)	(12,761)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities of discontinued operations			136	290
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities			55,459	43,682
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment			(9,535)	(5,410)
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation				65,245
Proceeds from sales of investment securities			6,286
Purchases of investment securities			(629)
Investment in subsidiaries			(27,678)	(26,421)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities			(31,556)	33,414
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility				378,280
Repayment of credit facility			(4,829)	(355,611)
Debt refinancing and modification costs			(18)	(6,197)
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests				(54,595)
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member				2,776
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of Reach Media				(933)
Repurchase of common stock				(8,516)
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of TV One			(7,741)	(7,410)
Net cash flows used in financing activities			(12,588)	(52,206)
INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS			11,315	24,890
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period			35,752	8,149
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	47,067	33,039	47,067	33,039
Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	(11,296)	(10,959)	(27,678)	(26,421)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization			0	0
Amortization of debt financing costs			0	0
Amortization of content assets			0	0
Amortization of launch assets			0
Deferred income taxes			0	0
Gain on investment in affiliated company				0
Equity in income of affiliated company				0
Impairment of long-lived assets			0
Stock-based compensation and other non-cash compensation			0	0
Non-cash interest			0	0
Loss on retirement of debt				0
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable			0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets			0	0
Other assets			0	0
Accounts payable			0	0
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries			0	0
Accrued interest			0	0
Accrued compensation and related benefits			0	0
Income taxes payable			0	0
Other liabilities			0	0
Payments for content assets			0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities of discontinued operations			0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities			(27,678)	(26,421)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property and equipment			0	0
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation				0
Proceeds from sales of investment securities			0
Purchases of investment securities			0
Investment in subsidiaries			27,678	26,421
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities			27,678	26,421
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility				0
Repayment of credit facility			0	0
Debt refinancing and modification costs			0	0
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests				0
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member				0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of Reach Media			0	0
Repurchase of common stock				0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest members of TV One			0	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities			0	0
INCREASE IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS			0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period			0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0