Operating Segments (Adjusted for EBITDA) (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		6 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010	Jun. 30, 2011	Jun. 30, 2010
Net income (loss)	$ 31,014,000	$ (97,614,000)	$ 71,138,000	$ (217,014,000)
Asset write-down charges	6,205,000	2,597,000	10,606,000	4,159,000
Acquisition and integration costs	490,000	272,000	1,044,000	272,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	138,191,000	134,426,000	275,464,000	267,294,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	126,483,000	120,345,000	253,169,000	241,126,000
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of long-term debt	0	0	0	66,434,000
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0	114,598,000	0	187,874,000
Interest and other income (expense)	3,890,000	241,000	4,325,000	(138,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	5,755,000	(4,686,000)	4,938,000	(15,025,000)
Stock-based compensation expense	7,867,000	9,905,000	18,532,000	19,353,000
Adjusted EBITDA	319,895,000	280,084,000	639,216,000	554,335,000
CCUSA [Member]
Net income (loss)	30,251,000	(97,333,000)	69,783,000	(216,281,000)
Asset write-down charges	5,930,000	2,574,000	10,287,000	4,136,000
Acquisition and integration costs	490,000	272,000	1,044,000	272,000
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	130,488,000	127,557,000	260,464,000	253,249,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	126,484,000	120,058,000	252,845,000	240,330,000
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of long-term debt	0	0	0	66,434,000
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0	114,598,000	0	187,874,000
Interest and other income (expense)	(1,787,000)	(4,394,000)	(6,870,000)	(9,279,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	5,184,000	(5,145,000)	3,815,000	(15,929,000)
Stock-based compensation expense	7,758,000	9,880,000	17,254,000	18,143,000
Adjusted EBITDA	304,798,000	268,067,000	608,622,000	528,949,000
CCAL [Member]
Net income (loss)	763,000	(281,000)	1,355,000	(733,000)
Asset write-down charges	275,000	23,000	319,000	23,000
Acquisition and integration costs	0	0	0	0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	7,703,000	6,869,000	15,000,000	14,045,000
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	5,816,000	4,967,000	11,758,000	10,012,000
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0	0	0	0
Interest and other income (expense)	(140,000)	(45,000)	(239,000)	(75,000)
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	571,000	459,000	1,123,000	904,000
Stock-based compensation expense	109,000	25,000	1,278,000	1,210,000
Adjusted EBITDA	15,097,000	12,017,000	30,594,000	25,386,000
Elimination [Member]
Net income (loss)	0	0	0	0
Asset write-down charges	0	0	0	0
Acquisition and integration costs	0	0	0	0
Depreciation, amortization and accretion	0	0	0	0
Interest expense and amortization of deferred financing costs	(5,817,000)	(4,680,000)	(11,434,000)	(9,216,000)
Gains (losses) on purchases and redemptions of long-term debt	0	0	0	0
Net gain (loss) on interest rate swaps	0	0	0	0
Interest and other income (expense)	5,817,000	4,680,000	11,434,000	9,216,000
Benefit (provision) for income taxes	0	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation expense	0	0	0	0
Adjusted EBITDA	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0