Supplemental Condensed Consolidating Financial Information (Details 1) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 46,976	$ 30,592	$ 47,076	$ 12,814
Restricted cash	3,254	3,854
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of 4504,2765	222,096	236,804
Trade receivable	7,073	5,967
Compensation held in trust		24,807
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	33,155	22,315
Total current assets	312,554	324,339
Property and equipment, net	261,967	278,070
Broadcast licenses	1,610,128	1,625,415
Other intangible assets, net	287,667	390,509	442,563	552
Goodwill	1,296,348	1,334,512	1,313,197	56,079
Other assets	79,554	87,746
Total assets	3,848,218	4,040,591
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	124,805	160,186
Trade payable	5,623	4,999
Current portion of long-term debt	13,250	13,250
Other current liabilities	12,022
Total current liabilities	155,700	178,435
Long-term debt, excluding 7.75% senior notes	2,068,705	2,227,287
7.75% senior notes	610,000	610,000
Other liabilities	48,129	63,938
Deferred income taxes	562,811	556,771
Total liabilities	3,445,345	3,636,431
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock	70,854	113,447
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Treasury stock	(251,957)	(251,666)
Additional paid-in-capital	1,515,407	1,526,114
Accumulated (deficit) equity	(933,412)	(985,473)
Total stockholders' equity	332,019	290,713
Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and stockholders' equity	3,848,218	4,040,591
Common Class A [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock	1,821	1,608
Common Class B [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock	154	124
Common Class C [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock	6	6
Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock	70,854	113,447
Cumulus Media Inc. (Parent Guarantor Member) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	38,847	11,714	29,985	12,638
Restricted cash	3,254	3,854
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of 4504,2765
Trade receivable
Compensation held in trust		24,807
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	8,560	6,542
Total current assets	50,661	46,917
Property and equipment, net	4,217	6,555
Broadcast licenses
Other intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	426,220	440,008
Other assets	11,349	13,577
Total assets	492,447	507,057
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	13,608	60,345
Trade payable
Current portion of long-term debt
Total current liabilities	13,608	60,345
Long-term debt, excluding 7.75% senior notes
7.75% senior notes
Other liabilities	75,966	42,552
Deferred income taxes
Total liabilities	89,574	102,897
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock	70,854	113,447
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Treasury stock	(251,957)	(251,666)
Additional paid-in-capital	1,515,407	1,526,114
Accumulated (deficit) equity	(933,412)	(985,473)
Total stockholders' equity	332,019	290,713
Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and stockholders' equity	492,447	507,057
Cumulus Media Inc. (Parent Guarantor Member) [Member] | Common Class A [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock	1,821	1,608
Cumulus Media Inc. (Parent Guarantor Member) [Member] | Common Class B [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock	154	124
Cumulus Media Inc. (Parent Guarantor Member) [Member] | Common Class C [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock	6	6
Cumulus Media Inc. (Parent Guarantor Member) [Member] | Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock	70,854
Cumulus Media Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer) [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of 4504,2765
Trade receivable
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Broadcast licenses
Other intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	3,025,733	3,247,865
Other assets	113,276	55,176
Total assets	3,139,009	3,303,041
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	20,834	12,496
Trade payable
Current portion of long-term debt	13,250	13,250
Total current liabilities	34,084	28,871
Long-term debt, excluding 7.75% senior notes	2,068,705	2,227,287
7.75% senior notes	610,000	610,000
Other liabilities
Deferred income taxes
Total liabilities	2,712,789	2,863,033
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Treasury stock
Additional paid-in-capital	173,618	285,806
Accumulated (deficit) equity	252,602	154,202
Total stockholders' equity	426,220	440,008
Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and stockholders' equity	3,139,009	3,303,041
Cumulus Media Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer) [Member] | Common Class A [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Cumulus Media Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer) [Member] | Common Class B [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Cumulus Media Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer) [Member] | Common Class C [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Cumulus Media Holdings Inc. (Subsidiary Issuer) [Member] | Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	8,129	18,878	17,091	176
Restricted cash
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of 4504,2765	222,096	236,804
Trade receivable	7,073	5,967
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	24,595	14,762
Total current assets	261,893	276,411
Property and equipment, net	257,750	271,515
Broadcast licenses
Other intangible assets, net	287,667	390,509
Goodwill	1,296,348	1,334,512
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	1,125,498	1,157,317
Other assets	(45,071)	18,993
Total assets	3,184,085	3,449,257
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	90,363	87,070
Trade payable	5,623	4,999
Current portion of long-term debt
Other current liabilities	12,022
Total current liabilities	108,008	92,069
Long-term debt, excluding 7.75% senior notes
7.75% senior notes
Other liabilities	(27,837)	21,386
Deferred income taxes	78,181	87,937
Total liabilities	158,352	201,392
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Treasury stock
Additional paid-in-capital	3,502,648	3,972,850
Accumulated (deficit) equity	(476,915)	(724,985)
Total stockholders' equity	3,025,733	3,247,865
Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and stockholders' equity	3,184,085	3,449,257
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Common Class A [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Common Class B [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Common Class C [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member] | Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock
Subsidiary Non-guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of 4504,2765
Trade receivable
Prepaid expenses and other current assets		1,011
Total current assets		1,011
Property and equipment, net
Broadcast licenses	1,610,128	1,625,415
Other intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries
Other assets
Total assets	1,610,128	1,626,426
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses		275
Trade payable
Current portion of long-term debt
Total current liabilities		275
Long-term debt, excluding 7.75% senior notes
7.75% senior notes
Other liabilities
Deferred income taxes	489,630	468,834
Total liabilities	484,630	469,109
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Treasury stock
Additional paid-in-capital	2,099,486	2,131,251
Accumulated (deficit) equity	(973,988)	(973,934)
Total stockholders' equity	1,125,498	1,157,317
Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and stockholders' equity	1,610,128	1,626,426
Subsidiary Non-guarantors [Member] | Common Class A [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Subsidiary Non-guarantors [Member] | Common Class B [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Subsidiary Non-guarantors [Member] | Common Class C [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Subsidiary Non-guarantors [Member] | Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock
Eliminations [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash
Accounts receivable, less allowance for doubtful accounts of 4504,2765
Trade receivable
Prepaid expenses and other current assets
Total current assets
Property and equipment, net
Broadcast licenses
Other intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Investment in consolidated subsidiaries	(4,577,451)	(4,845,190)
Other assets
Total assets	(4,577,451)	(4,845,190)
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
Trade payable
Current portion of long-term debt
Total current liabilities
Long-term debt, excluding 7.75% senior notes
7.75% senior notes
Other liabilities
Deferred income taxes
Total liabilities
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Treasury stock
Additional paid-in-capital	(5,775,752)	(6,389,907)
Accumulated (deficit) equity	1,198,301	1,544,717
Total stockholders' equity	(4,577,451)	(4,845,190)
Total liabilities, redeemable preferred stock and stockholders' equity	(4,577,451)	(4,845,190)
Eliminations [Member] | Common Class A [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Eliminations [Member] | Common Class B [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Eliminations [Member] | Common Class C [Member]
Stockholders' equity (deficit):
Common stock
Eliminations [Member] | Series A Redeemable Preferred Stock [Member]
Redeemable preferred stock:
Series A cumulative redeemable preferred stock