Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Mar. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 219,551	$ 240,923	$ 276,416	$ 299,825
Investment securities available for sale	65,242	76,486
Accounts receivable - trade	10,812	24,869
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	108,683	109,228
Deferred income taxes	43,142	42,951
Income taxes receivable, net	10,132	9,553
Restricted assets	1,474	1,474
Other current assets	4,500	4,257
Total current assets	463,536	509,741
Property, plant and equipment, net	56,042	56,556
Investment in Escena, net	13,236	13,280
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	5,675	5,675
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	24,431	16,499
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	124,292	124,469
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	8,340	9,626
Deferred income taxes	30,153	31,017
Intangible asset	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	10,421	10,047
Other assets	42,445	43,347
Total assets	886,082	927,768
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	24,484	50,844
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	106,191	84,485
Current portion of employee benefits	2,706	2,690
Accounts payable	4,636	9,532
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued promotional expenses	15,891	17,056
Income taxes payable, net	6,707	6,597
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	18,942	17,992
Litigation accruals and current payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	86,536	52,725
Deferred income taxes	30,910	35,885
Accrued interest	9,475	20,888
Other current liabilities	11,469	16,504
Total current liabilities	317,947	315,198
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	500,076	493,356
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	48,364	49,015
Non-current employee benefits	46,165	45,982
Deferred income taxes	52,746	60,642
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	53,453	52,605
Total liabilities	1,018,751	1,016,798
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(132,669)	(89,030)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	886,082	927,768
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	191,537	238,262	269,723	283,409
Investment securities available for sale	40,726	50,401
Accounts receivable - trade	0	0
Intercompany receivables	149	64
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	39,956	39,883
Income taxes receivable, net	25,020	47,484
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	610	565
Total current assets	297,998	376,659
Property, plant and equipment, net	2,023	1,345
Investment in Escena, net	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	4,777	4,777
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	24,431	16,499
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	227,968	211,219
Restricted assets	1,890	2,161
Deferred income taxes	18,826	18,564
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	26,928	28,108
Total assets	604,841	659,332
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	15,987	16,052
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	106,191	84,485
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	282	1,040
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	0	6,597
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	27,948	32,558
Accrued interest	9,475	20,888
Other current liabilities	3,745	6,683
Total current liabilities	163,628	168,303
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	482,699	479,199
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	48,364	49,015
Non-current employee benefits	23,340	23,023
Deferred income taxes	18,407	27,970
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	1,072	852
Total liabilities	737,510	748,362
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(132,669)	(89,030)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	604,841	659,332
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	27,274	2,488	5,789	16,214
Investment securities available for sale	24,516	26,085
Accounts receivable - trade	10,811	24,869
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	108,682	109,228
Deferred income taxes	3,186	3,068
Income taxes receivable, net	21,755	4,984
Restricted assets	1,474	1,474
Other current assets	3,693	3,498
Total current assets	201,391	175,694
Property, plant and equipment, net	54,019	55,211
Investment in Escena, net	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	6,450	7,465
Deferred income taxes	5,459	6,412
Intangible asset	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	10,421	10,047
Other assets	15,517	15,239
Total assets	400,768	377,579
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	8,351	34,651
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	2,706	2,690
Accounts payable	4,236	8,321
Intercompany payables	149	64
Accrued promotional expenses	15,891	17,056
Income taxes payable, net	0	0
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	18,942	17,992
Litigation accruals and current payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	86,536	52,725
Deferred income taxes	2,962	3,327
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	7,116	9,079
Total current liabilities	146,889	145,905
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	17,198	13,941
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	22,825	22,959
Deferred income taxes	31,298	30,135
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	51,654	51,010
Total liabilities	269,864	263,950
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	130,904	113,629
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	400,768	377,579
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	740	173	904	202
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade	1	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	1	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	197	194
Total current assets	939	367
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in Escena, net	13,236	13,280
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	898	898
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	124,292	124,469
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	5,868	6,041
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	145,233	145,055
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	146	141
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	118	171
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	43,350	42,915
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	608	742
Total current liabilities	44,222	43,969
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	179	216
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	3,041	2,537
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	727	743
Total liabilities	48,169	47,465
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	97,064	97,590
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	145,233	145,055
Consolidating Adjustments [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	0	0	0	0
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade	0	0
Intercompany receivables	(149)	(64)
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income taxes receivable, net	(36,643)	(42,915)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(36,792)	(42,979)
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in Escena, net	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	(227,968)	(211,219)
Restricted assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	(264,760)	(254,198)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payables	(149)	(64)
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	(36,643)	(42,915)
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(36,792)	(42,979)
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	0	0
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Other liabilities, primarily litigation accruals and payments due under Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Total liabilities	(36,792)	(42,979)
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(227,968)	(211,219)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ (264,760)	$ (254,198)