Debt and Other Obligations (Indebtedness) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012		Dec. 31, 2011
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt and other obligations	$ 8,383,164,000		$ 6,885,699,000
Less: current maturities and short-term debt and other current obligations	88,093,000		32,517,000
Non-current portion of long-term debt and other long-term obligations	8,295,071,000		6,853,182,000
Total cash obligations	8,426,919,000
Unamortized adjustments, net	(43,755,000)
Long-term debt	8,383,164,000
Capital Lease Obligations and Other [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Contractual maturity date	Various	[1]
Total debt and other obligations	88,442,000		54,406,000
Original Debt Issuance Date	Various
Percentage of debt instrument interest rate stated	Various	[1],[2]
Bank Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt and other obligations	2,075,500,000		870,125,000
Bank Debt [Member] | Variable Rate Revolver [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Jan. 01, 2007
Contractual maturity date	Sept. 2013
Total debt and other obligations	0		251,000,000
Percentage of debt instrument interest rate stated	N/A	[2]
Bank Debt [Member] | Variable Rate Revolver 2012 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Jan. 01, 2012
Contractual maturity date	Jan. 2017
Total debt and other obligations	0	[3]	0
Percentage of debt instrument interest rate stated	N/A	[2],[4]
Bank Debt [Member] | Variable Rate 2007 Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Jan. 01, 2007
Contractual maturity date	March 2014
Total debt and other obligations	0		619,125,000
Percentage of debt instrument interest rate stated	N/A	[2]
Bank Debt [Member] | Variable Rate 2012 Term Loans [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Jan. 01, 2012
Contractual maturity date	2017/2019
Total debt and other obligations	2,075,500,000		0
Stated interest rate	3.70%	[2],[4]
Securitized Debt [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt and other obligations	3,981,765,000		3,666,431,000
Securitized Debt [Member] | Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Jan. 01, 2010
Contractual maturity date	2035 - 2040	[5]
Total debt and other obligations	1,900,000,000		1,900,000,000
Stated interest rate	5.70%	[2],[5]
Securitized Debt [Member] | Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Aug. 01, 2010
Contractual maturity date	2035 - 2040	[5]
Total debt and other obligations	1,550,000,000		1,550,000,000
Stated interest rate	4.50%	[2],[5]
Securitized Debt [Member] | Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Jul. 01, 2009
Contractual maturity date	2019/2029	[6]
Total debt and other obligations	203,001,000		216,431,000
Stated interest rate	7.00%	[2]
Securitized Debt [Member] | WCP Securitized Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Nov. 01, 2010
Contractual maturity date	Nov. 2040	[7]
Total debt and other obligations	328,764,000	[7]	0
Stated interest rate	5.40%	[2],[8]
Debt instrument, fair value adjustment	13,300,000
High Yield Bonds [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt and other obligations	2,237,457,000		2,294,737,000
High Yield Bonds [Member] | Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 9% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Jan. 01, 2009
Contractual maturity date	Jan. 2015
Total debt and other obligations	792,753,000		817,799,000
Stated interest rate	9.00%	[2],[9]
High Yield Bonds [Member] | Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.75% Secured Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Apr. 01, 2009
Contractual maturity date	May 2017
Total debt and other obligations	946,648,000		978,983,000
Stated interest rate	7.80%	[10],[2]
High Yield Bonds [Member] | Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.125% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Oct. 01, 2009
Contractual maturity date	Nov. 2019
Total debt and other obligations	498,056,000		497,904,000
Stated interest rate	7.10%	[11],[2]
High Yield Bonds [Member] | Fixed Rate High Yield Bonds 7.5% Senior Notes [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Original issue date	Dec. 01, 2003
Contractual maturity date	Dec. 2013
Total debt and other obligations	0		51,000
Percentage of debt instrument interest rate stated	N/A	[2]
CCOC [Member] | 2012 Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, face amount	3,100,000,000
CCOC [Member] | 2012 Credit Facility [Member] | Senior Secured 2012 Revolver [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total revolving commitment	1,000,000,000
Repayments of debt 2012 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal, Remainder of Fiscal Year	19,839,000
Repayments of debt 2013 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two	89,795,000
Repayments of debt 2014 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three	99,336,000
Repayments of debt 2015 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four	941,179,000
Repayments of debt 2016 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five	$ 113,198,000

[1] The Company's capital leases and other obligations bear interest rates up to 10% and mature in periods ranging from less than 1 year to approximately 20 years.

[2] Represents the weighted-average stated interest rate.

[3] As of September 30, 2012, the undrawn availability under the $1.0 billion senior secured revolving credit facility ("2012 Revolver") is $1.0 billion.

[4] The 2012 Revolver and the Term Loan A bear interest at a per annum rate equal to LIBOR plus 2.0% to 2.75%, based on CCOC's total net leverage ratio. Term Loan B bears interest at a per annum rate equal to LIBOR plus 3.0% (with LIBOR subject to a floor of 1% per annum). The Company pays a commitment fee of 0.4% per annum on the undrawn available amount under the 2012 Revolver.

[5] If the respective series of the January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes and August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes are not paid in full on or prior to 2015, 2017 and 2020, as applicable, then Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the indenture) of the issuers (of such notes) will be used to repay principal of the applicable series and class of the 2010 Tower Revenue Notes, and additional interest (of approximately 5% per annum) will accrue on the respective 2010 Tower Revenue Notes. The January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes consist of three series of notes with principal amounts of $300.0 million, $350.0 million and $1.3 billion, having anticipated repayment dates in 2015, 2017 and 2020, respectively. The August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes consist of three series of notes with principal amounts of $250.0 million, $300.0 million and $1.0 billion, having anticipated repayment dates in 2015, 2017 and 2020, respectively.

[6] The 2009 Securitized Notes consist of $133.0 million of principal as of September 30, 2012 that amortizes through 2019, and $70.0 million of principal as of September 30, 2012 that amortizes during the period beginning in 2019 and ending in 2029.

[7] The WCP securitized notes ("WCP Securitized Notes") were assumed in connection with the WCP Acquisition. The WCP Securitized Notes include a fair value adjustment that increased the debt carrying value by $13.3 million as of September 30, 2012. The anticipated repayment date is 2015 for each class of the debt assumed in connection with the WCP Acquisition. (g)The effecti

[8] The effective yield is approximately 4.0%, inclusive of the fair value adjustment.

[9] The effective yield is approximately 11.3%, inclusive of the discount.

[10] The effective yield is approximately 8.2%, inclusive of the discount.

[11] The effective yield is approximately 7.2%, inclusive of the discount.