Debt and Other Obligations (Debt Purchases and Repayments) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended				12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2010	Sep. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2010	Mar. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount						$ 3,426,324,000	[1]	$ 2,324,289,000	[2]
Cash Paid						3,541,312,000	[1],[3]	2,411,119,000	[2],[3]
Gains (losses)	0	(71,933,000)	0	(66,434,000)	0	(138,367,000)	[1]	(91,079,000)	[2]
Write-off of deferred financing costs and discounts						23,400,000		4,200,000
2004 Mortgage Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount								293,505,000	[4]
Cash Paid								293,716,000	[3],[4]
Gains (losses)								(2,128,000)	[4]
2006 Mortgage Loan [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount								1,550,000,000	[4]
Cash Paid								1,634,184,000	[3],[4]
Gains (losses)								(85,659,000)	[4]
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt 2005 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount						1,638,616,000		261,384,000
Cash Paid						1,651,255,000	[3]	263,819,000	[3]
Gains (losses)						(15,718,000)		(3,292,000)
Fixed Rate Securitized Debt 2006 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount						1,550,000,000
Cash Paid						1,629,920,000	[3]
Gains (losses)						(87,755,000)
Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount						5,000,000	[5]
Cash Paid						5,250,000	[3],[5]
Gains (losses)						(393,000)	[5]
Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 9% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount						33,115,000
Cash Paid						36,116,000	[3]
Gains (losses)						(6,425,000)
Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.75% Secured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount						199,593,000	[5]
Cash Paid						218,771,000	[3],[5]
Gains (losses)						(28,076,000)	[5]
Variable Rate Revolver [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Principal Amount								219,400,000
Cash Paid								219,400,000	[3]
Gains (losses)								$ 0

[1] Inclusive of $23.4 million related to the write-off of deferred financing costs and discounts.

[2] Inclusive of $4.2 million related to the write-off of deferred financing costs and other non-cash adjustments.

[3] Exclusive of accrued interest.

[4] Includes purchases and repayments.

[5] These debt purchases were made by CCIC, rather than by the subsidiaries issuing the debt, because of restrictions upon the subsidiaries issuing the debt; as a result, the debt remains outstanding at the Company's subsidiaries.