Condensed Consolidating Financial Information Balance Sheets (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Jun. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Jun. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 208,748	$ 240,923	$ 319,989	$ 299,825
Investment securities available for sale	68,141	76,486
Accounts receivable - trade	10,825	24,869
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	105,988	109,228
Deferred income taxes	41,604	42,951
Income tax receivable, net	6,418	9,553
Restricted assets	1,475	1,474
Other current assets	5,079	4,257
Total current assets	448,278	509,741
Property, plant and equipment, net	58,277	56,556
Investment in Escena, net	13,206	13,280
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	16,367	5,675
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	5,552	16,499
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	130,803	124,469
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	9,678	9,626
Deferred income taxes	43,015	31,017
Intangible asset	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	10,796	10,047
Other assets	42,255	43,347
Total assets	885,738	927,768
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	24,246	50,844
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	84,485
Current portion of employee benefits	2,721	2,690
Accounts payable	4,231	9,532
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued promotional expenses	15,733	17,056
Income taxes payable, net	6,817	6,597
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	12,611	17,992
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	71,708	52,725
Deferred income taxes	28,665	35,885
Accrued interest	20,888	20,888
Other current liabilities	12,478	16,504
Total current liabilities	200,098	315,198
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	516,058	493,356
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	120,410	49,015
Non-current employee benefits	45,137	45,982
Deferred income taxes	68,684	60,642
Other liabilities	54,888	52,605
Total liabilities	1,005,275	1,016,798
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(119,537)	(89,030)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	885,738	927,768
Parent/Issuer [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	188,132	238,262	301,645	283,409
Investment securities available for sale	37,245	50,401
Accounts receivable - trade	0	0
Intercompany receivables	565	64
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	38,669	39,883
Income tax receivable, net	31,430	47,484
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	806	565
Total current assets	296,847	376,659
Property, plant and equipment, net	1,747	1,345
Investment in Escena, net	0	0
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	15,541	4,777
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	5,552	16,499
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	0	0
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	229,584	211,219
Restricted assets	1,893	2,161
Deferred income taxes	30,852	18,564
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	26,394	28,108
Total assets	608,410	659,332
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	16,052
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		84,485
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	307	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 the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	25,789	32,558
Accrued interest	20,888	20,888
Other current liabilities	4,849	6,683
Total current liabilities	51,833	168,303
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	497,643	479,199
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	120,410	49,015
Non-current employee benefits	23,657	23,023
Deferred income taxes	33,397	27,970
Other liabilities	1,007	852
Total liabilities	727,947	748,362
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(119,537)	(89,030)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	608,410	659,332
Subsidiary Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	19,967	2,488	17,525	16,214
Investment securities available for sale	30,896	26,085
Accounts receivable - trade	10,825	24,869
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	105,988	109,228
Deferred income taxes	2,935	3,068
Income tax receivable, net	13,470	4,984
Restricted assets	1,475	1,474
Other current assets	4,134	3,498
Total current assets	189,690	175,694
Property, plant and equipment, net	56,530	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	7,785	7,465
Deferred income taxes	6,454	6,412
Intangible asset	107,511	107,511
Prepaid pension costs	10,796	10,047
Other assets	15,861	15,239
Total assets	394,627	377,579
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	24,095	34,651
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Current portion of employee benefits	2,721	2,690
Accounts payable	3,838	8,321
Intercompany payables	565	64
Accrued promotional expenses	15,733	17,056
Income taxes payable, net	0	0
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	12,611	17,992
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	71,708	52,725
Deferred income taxes	2,876	3,327
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	6,977	9,079
Total current liabilities	141,124	145,905
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	18,274	13,941
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	21,480	22,959
Deferred income taxes	32,043	30,135
Other liabilities	53,176	51,010
Total liabilities	266,097	263,950
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	128,530	113,629
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	394,627	377,579
Subsidiary Non-Guarantors [Member]
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	649	173	819	202
Investment securities available for sale	0	0
Accounts receivable - trade	0	0
Intercompany receivables	0	0
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income tax receivable, net	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	139	194
Total current assets	788	367
Property, plant and equipment, net	0	0
Investment in Escena, net	13,206	13,280
Long-term investments accounted for at cost	826	898
Long-term investments accounted for under the equity method	0	0
Investments in non-consolidated real estate businesses	130,803	124,469
Investments in consolidated subsidiaries	0	0
Restricted assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	5,709	6,041
Intangible asset	0	0
Prepaid pension costs	0	0
Other assets	0	0
Total assets	151,332	145,055
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	151	141
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	86	171
Intercompany payables	0	0
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	45,299	42,915
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	652	742
Total current liabilities	46,188	43,969
Notes payable, long-term debt and other obligations, less current portion	141	216
Fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt	0	0
Non-current employee benefits	0	0
Deferred income taxes	3,244	2,537
Other liabilities	705	743
Total liabilities	50,278	47,465
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	101,054	97,590
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	151,332	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	(565)	(64)
Inventories	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Income tax receivable, net	(38,482)	(42,915)
Restricted assets	0	0
Other current assets	0	0
Total current assets	(39,047)	(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	(229,584)	(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	(268,631)	(254,198)
Current liabilities:
Current portion of notes payable and long-term debt	0	0
Current portion of fair value of derivatives embedded within convertible debt		0
Current portion of employee benefits	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0
Intercompany payables	(565)	(64)
Accrued promotional expenses	0	0
Income taxes payable, net	(38,482)	(42,915)
Accrued excise and payroll taxes payable, net	0	0
Litigation accruals and current payments due under the Master Settlement Agreement	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0
Other current liabilities	0	0
Total current liabilities	(39,047)	(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	0	0
Total liabilities	(39,047)	(42,979)
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' deficiency	(229,584)	(211,219)
Total liabilities and stockholders' deficiency	$ (268,631)	$ (254,198)