Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations and Comprehensive Income (Loss) (USD $) Share data in Thousands, except Per Share data	3 Months Ended				9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010		Sep. 30, 2011		Sep. 30, 2010
Net revenues:
Site rental	$ 468,920,000		$ 437,079,000		$ 1,382,219,000		$ 1,253,582,000
Network services and other	44,963,000		44,811,000		131,039,000		128,762,000
Net revenues	513,883,000		481,890,000		1,513,258,000		1,382,344,000
Operating expenses:
Site rental	121,759,000	[1]	116,233,000	[1]	361,317,000	[1]	345,453,000	[1]
Network services and other	25,083,000	[1]	26,767,000	[1]	78,213,000	[1]	82,990,000	[1]
General and administrative	42,922,000		41,420,000		128,925,000		121,449,000
Asset write-down charges	3,090,000		4,429,000		13,696,000		8,588,000
Acquisition and integration costs	617,000		867,000		1,661,000		1,139,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	138,523,000		136,218,000		413,987,000		403,512,000
Total operating expenses	331,994,000		325,934,000		997,799,000		963,131,000
Operating income (loss)	181,889,000		155,956,000		515,459,000		419,213,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(127,119,000)		(123,196,000)		(380,288,000)		(364,322,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of debt	0		(71,933,000)		0		(138,367,000)
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0		(104,421,000)		0		(292,295,000)
Interest and other income (expense)	(562,000)		847,000		(4,887,000)		985,000
Income (loss) before income taxes	54,208,000		(142,747,000)		130,284,000		(374,786,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	(2,825,000)		7,597,000		(7,763,000)		22,622,000
Net income (loss)	51,383,000		(135,150,000)		122,521,000		(352,164,000)
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	105,000		(141,000)		355,000		(351,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	51,278,000		(135,009,000)		122,166,000		(351,813,000)
Dividends on preferred stock and losses on purchases of preferred stock	(7,541,000)		(5,201,000)		(17,944,000)		(15,604,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders after deduction of dividends on preferred stock and losses on purchases of preferred stock	43,737,000		(140,210,000)		104,222,000		(367,417,000)
Net income (loss)	51,383,000		(135,150,000)		122,521,000		(352,164,000)
Available-for-sale securities, net of tax of $0, $0, $0 and $0, respectively:
Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities, net of taxes	0		(1,265,000)		(7,537,000)		158,000
Derivative instruments net of taxes of $0, $(909,000), $0, and $(14,124,000), respectively:
Net change in fair value of cash flow hedging instruments, net of taxes	(43,000)		(17,562,000)		(893,000)		(139,108,000)
Amounts reclassified into results of operations, net of taxes	17,986,000		16,266,000		53,834,000		38,946,000
Foreign currency translation adjustments	(16,816,000)		26,108,000		(6,662,000)		17,097,000
Comprehensive income (loss)	52,510,000		(111,603,000)		161,263,000		(435,071,000)
Less: Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to the noncontrolling interest	88,000		(196,000)		721,000		(241,000)
Comprehensive income (loss) attributable to CCIC stockholders	$ 52,422,000		$ (111,407,000)		$ 160,542,000		$ (434,830,000)
Net income (loss) attributable to CCIC common stockholders, after deduction of dividends on preferred stock and losses on purchases of preferred stock, per common share:
Basic	$ 0.16		$ (0.49)		$ 0.37		$ (1.28)
Diluted	$ 0.15		$ (0.49)		$ 0.36		$ (1.28)
Weighted-average common shares outstanding (in thousands):
Basic	282,031		286,119		284,770		286,883
Diluted	283,899		286,119		286,868		286,883

[1] Exclusive of depreciation, amortization and accretion shown separately.