Condensed Consolidating Statement of Cash Flows (Details) (USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2012	Mar. 31, 2011
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	$ (94)	$ (110)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	408	383
Noncash interest expense	14	12
Loss on extinguishment of debt	15	67
Deferred income taxes	70	77
Equity in (income) losses of subisidiaries	0	0
Other, net	11	7
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	40	24
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(8)	(9)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	(2)	(4)
Receivables from and payables to related parties	0	0
Net cash flows from operating activities	454	447
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(340)	(356)
Change in accrued expenses related to capital expenditures	(12)	(19)
Contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Distributions from subsidiary	0	0
Other, net	(13)	(6)
Net cash flows from investing activities	(365)	(381)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings of long-term debt	1,469	1,846
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,539)	(1,666)
Borrowings (payments) loans payable - related parties	0	0
Payments for debt issuance costs	(10)	(22)
Purchase of treasury stock	(3)	(207)
Contributions from parent	0	0
Distributions to parent	0	0
Other, net	(4)	5
Net cash flows from financing activities	(87)	(44)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	2	22
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	29	32
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	31	54
Charter [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	(97)	(113)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Noncash interest expense	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	70	73
Equity in (income) losses of subisidiaries	28	40
Other, net	(1)	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	1	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	(5)	0
Receivables from and payables to related parties	4	0
Net cash flows from operating activities	0	0
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Change in accrued expenses related to capital expenditures	0	0
Contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Distributions from subsidiary	3	206
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from investing activities	3	206
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Borrowings (payments) loans payable - related parties	0	0
Payments for debt issuance costs	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	(3)	(207)
Contributions from parent	0	0
Distributions to parent	0	0
Other, net	2	2
Net cash flows from financing activities	(1)	(205)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	2	1
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	2	1
Intermediate Holding Companies [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	(34)	(47)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Noncash interest expense	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Equity in (income) losses of subisidiaries	34	47
Other, net	1	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	1
Prepaid expenses and other assets	11	3
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	(53)	(12)
Receivables from and payables to related parties	41	8
Net cash flows from operating activities	0	0
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Change in accrued expenses related to capital expenditures	0	0
Contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Distributions from subsidiary	15	1,030
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from investing activities	15	1,030
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Borrowings (payments) loans payable - related parties	0	0
Payments for debt issuance costs	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Distributions to parent	(15)	(1,030)
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from financing activities	(15)	(1,030)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	0	0
CCH II [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	(34)	(47)
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Noncash interest expense	(8)	(9)
Loss on extinguishment of debt	6	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Equity in (income) losses of subisidiaries	(6)	(1)
Other, net	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	0	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	(56)	(60)
Receivables from and payables to related parties	(2)	(2)
Net cash flows from operating activities	(100)	(119)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Change in accrued expenses related to capital expenditures	0	0
Contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Distributions from subsidiary	489	322
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from investing activities	489	322
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	(386)	0
Borrowings (payments) loans payable - related parties	0	0
Payments for debt issuance costs	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Distributions to parent	(3)	(206)
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from financing activities	(389)	(206)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	(3)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	0	3
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	0	0
CCO Holdings [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	6	1
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Noncash interest expense	6	5
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Equity in (income) losses of subisidiaries	(133)	(77)
Other, net	(1)	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	0	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	73	73
Receivables from and payables to related parties	(2)	(2)
Net cash flows from operating activities	(51)	0
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Change in accrued expenses related to capital expenditures	0	0
Contribution to subsidiary	(419)	(1,369)
Distributions from subsidiary	538	122
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from investing activities	119	(1,247)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings of long-term debt	746	1,390
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Borrowings (payments) loans payable - related parties	(314)	202
Payments for debt issuance costs	(10)	(22)
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Contributions from parent	0	0
Distributions to parent	(489)	(322)
Other, net	(1)	0
Net cash flows from financing activities	(68)	1,248
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	1
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	2	1
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	2	2
Charter Operating and Subsidiaries [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	142	87
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	408	383
Noncash interest expense	16	16
Loss on extinguishment of debt	9	67
Deferred income taxes	0	4
Equity in (income) losses of subisidiaries	0	0
Other, net	12	(7)
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	40	23
Prepaid expenses and other assets	(20)	(12)
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	39	(5)
Receivables from and payables to related parties	(41)	(4)
Net cash flows from operating activities	605	566
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	(340)	(356)
Change in accrued expenses related to capital expenditures	(12)	(19)
Contribution to subsidiary	0	0
Distributions from subsidiary	0	0
Other, net	(13)	(6)
Net cash flows from investing activities	(365)	(381)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings of long-term debt	723	456
Repayments of long-term debt	(1,153)	(1,666)
Borrowings (payments) loans payable - related parties	314	(202)
Payments for debt issuance costs	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Contributions from parent	419	1,369
Distributions to parent	(538)	(122)
Other, net	(5)	3
Net cash flows from financing activities	(240)	(162)
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	23
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	27	28
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	27	51
Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net income (loss)	(77)	9
Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash flows from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0
Noncash interest expense	0	0
Loss on extinguishment of debt	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Equity in (income) losses of subisidiaries	77	(9)
Other, net	0	0
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other assets	0	0
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other	0	0
Receivables from and payables to related parties	0	0
Net cash flows from operating activities	0	0
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchases of property, plant and equipment	0	0
Change in accrued expenses related to capital expenditures	0	0
Contribution to subsidiary	419	1,369
Distributions from subsidiary	(1,045)	(1,680)
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from investing activities	(626)	(311)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Borrowings of long-term debt	0	0
Repayments of long-term debt	0	0
Borrowings (payments) loans payable - related parties	0	0
Payments for debt issuance costs	0	0
Purchase of treasury stock	0	0
Contributions from parent	(419)	(1,369)
Distributions to parent	1,045	1,680
Other, net	0	0
Net cash flows from financing activities	626	311
NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of period	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of period	$ 0	$ 0