Debt and Other Obligations (Indebtedness) (Textuals) (Details) (USD $)					3 Months Ended									3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes First Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Second Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Third Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes First Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Second Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes Third Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes First Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes Second Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 WCP Securitized Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 9% Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.75% Secured Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.125% Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Capital Lease Obligations and Other [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 2012 Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member] Senior Secured 2012 Revolver [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member] Senior Secured Term Loan A [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member] Senior Secured Term Loan B [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member] Security Interest [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 CCOC [Member] Senior Secured Term Loan B [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Minimum [Member] CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member] Senior Secured 2012 Revolver [Member]	Mar. 31, 2012 Maximum [Member] CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member] Senior Secured 2012 Revolver [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total revolving commitment																					$ 1,000,000,000
Availablity on revolver																					1,000,000,000
Debt instrument, basis spread on variable rate																									3.00%	2.00%	2.75%
Debt Instrument, LIBOR Floor																									1.00%
Line of Credit Facility, Commitment Fee Percentage																			0.40%
Additional interest accruing following anticipated repayment dates					5.00%									5.00%
Debt instrument, face amount						300,000,000	350,000,000	1,300,000,000	250,000,000	300,000,000	1,000,000,000									3,100,000,000		500,000,000	1,600,000,000
Total cash obligations	8,472,861,000											142,000,000	70,000,000
Effective yield rate, inclusive of discount														4.00%	11.30%	8.20%	7.20%
Debt instrument interest rate stated percentage rate range maximum																		10.00%
Contractual maturity date, start																		1Y
Contractual maturity date, end																		20Y
Cash and cash equivalents	1,063,684,000	80,120,000	82,320,000	112,531,000																				46,100,000
Business acquisition, purchase price allocation, face value of debt assumed														320,100,000
Restricted cash acquired to be spent on third-party land interests														$ 29,500,000