EQUITY AND LONG-TERM INCENTIVE PLANS (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011		Dec. 31, 2010		Dec. 31, 2009
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of fully vested stock appreciation rights outstanding (in shares)	98,752
Share-based compensation expense related to equity classified awards	$ 44,877		$ 48,434		$ 47,143
Income tax benefit recognized in continuing operations resulting from share-based compensation expense	17,782		18,142		15,467
Excess tax benefit on share-based awards	0		0		0
Cash received from option exercises	6,471		21,768		17,663
Share-based payment award, options outstanding, additional disclosures [Abstract]
Balance at beginning of period, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 11.10	[1]
Exercised, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 9.79	[1]
Forfeited/expired, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 7.58	[1]
Balance at end of period, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 8.27	[1]	$ 11.10	[1]
Options exercisable at end of period, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 8.14	[1]
Options expected to vest in the future, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 8.74	[1]
Balance at beginning of period, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	4.18
Balance at end of period, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	3.37		4.18
Options exercisable at end of period, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	3.26
Options expected to vest in the future, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	3.75
Balance at beginning of period, aggregate intrinsic value	149,373	[2]
Balance at end of period, aggregate intrinsic value	35,607	[2]	149,373	[2]
Options exercisable at end of period, aggregate intrinsic value	28,060	[2]
Options expected to vest in the future, aggregate intrinsic value	7,547	[2]
In-the-money outstanding options (in shares)	6,395,053
In-the-money outstanding exercisable options (in shares)	5,236,388
Aggregate intrinsic value of options exercised	12,074
Share-based payment award, restricted shares, additional disclosures [Abstract]
Unvested award balance at beginning of period, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 16.24	[3]
Granted, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 36.01	[3]
Vested, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 19.89	[3]
Transfers, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 14.44	[3],[4]
Awards forfeited, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 15.68	[3]
Unvested award balance at end of period, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 13.89	[3]	$ 16.24	[3]
Aggregate intrinsic value of stock appreciation rights exercised	879		6,443		1,308
Weighted average period to recognized unrecognized compensation cost (in years)	1
Restricted shares issued to employees of Company, AMC Networks and Madison Square Garden that vested (in shares)	2,616,030
Number of restricted shares surrendered by employees of Company, AMC Networks and Madison Square Garden (in shares)	1,071,017
Aggregate value of restricted shares surrendered by employees of Company, AMC Networks and Madison Square Garden	35,555
Share-based compensation expense (income) for continuing operations [Abstract]
Stock options (including performance based options)	3,931		4,877		6,697
Stock appreciation rights	(341)		1,855		2,677
Restricted shares	40,946		43,557		40,446
Share-based compensation	44,536		50,289		49,820
CNYG Class A Common Stock [Member]
Treatment of Share-Based Payment Awards After the Distribution [Abstract]
Number of stock options each outstanding stock option at the effective date of the AMC Networks Distribution and MSG Distribution became with respect to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	1
Number of stock appreciation rights each outstanding stock appreciation right at the effective date of the AMC Networks Distribution and MSG Distribution became with respect to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	1
AMC Networks Class A common stock [Member]
Treatment of Share-Based Payment Awards After the Distribution [Abstract]
Number of stock options each outstanding stock option at the effective date of the AMC Networks Distribution and MSG Distribution became with respect to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	1
Number of stock appreciation rights each outstanding stock appreciation right at the effective date of the AMC Networks Distribution and MSG Distribution became with respect to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	1
Madison Square Garden Class A common stock [Member]
Treatment of Share-Based Payment Awards After the Distribution [Abstract]
Number of stock options each outstanding stock option at the effective date of the AMC Networks Distribution and MSG Distribution became with respect to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	1
Number of stock appreciation rights each outstanding stock appreciation right at the effective date of the AMC Networks Distribution and MSG Distribution became with respect to Class A Common Stock (in shares)	1
Restricted Shares [Member]
Share-based payment award, restricted shares [Roll Forward]
Unvested award balance at beginning of period (in shares)	6,032,120
Granted (in shares)	952,300
Vested (in shares)	(1,713,240)
Transfers (in shares)	(145,860)	[4]
Awards forfeited (in shares)	(356,838)
Unvested award balance at end of period (in shares)	4,768,482
Performance Restricted Shares [Member]
Share-based payment award, restricted shares [Roll Forward]
Unvested award balance at beginning of period (in shares)	606,600
Granted (in shares)	331,200
Vested (in shares)	(153,400)
Transfers (in shares)	0	[4]
Awards forfeited (in shares)	(243,700)
Unvested award balance at end of period (in shares)	540,700
Time Vesting Options [Member]
Share-based payment award, options outstanding [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period (in shares)	6,163,042
Exercised (in shares)	(354,347)
Forfeited/expired (in shares)	(368,033)
Balance at end of period (in shares)	5,440,662
Options exercisable at end of period (in shares)	4,207,263
Options expected to vest in the future (in shares)	1,233,399
Performance Vesting Options [Member]
Share-based payment award, options outstanding [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period (in shares)	403,200
Exercised (in shares)	0
Forfeited/expired (in shares)	0
Balance at end of period (in shares)	403,200
Options exercisable at end of period (in shares)	403,200
Options expected to vest in the future (in shares)	0
Cablevision Systems Corporation Employee Stock Plan [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares of Class A common stock available for grant, subject to certain adjustments (in shares)	46,000,000
Expiration date for stock options and stock appreciation rights from date of grant (in years)	10Y
Additional expiration period for stock options and stock appreciation rights in the case of death of a holder (in years)	1Y
Vesting period for stock options and stock appreciation rights (in years)	3Y
Annual increments for vesting rights for stock options and stock appreciation rights	Options and stock appreciation rights have typically been scheduled to vest over three years in 33-1/3 annual increments
Cliff vesting period for restricted shares, minimum (in years)	3Y
Cliff vesting period for restricted shares, maximum (in years)	4Y
Cliff vesting period for performance based options, minimum (in years)	2Y
Cliff vesting period for performance based options, maximum (in years)	3Y
Cablevision Systems Corporation Stock Plan for Non-Employee Directors [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Shares of Class A common stock available for grant, subject to certain adjustments (in shares)	1,000,000
Expiration date for stock options and stock appreciation rights from date of grant (in years)	10Y
Additional expiration period for stock options and stock appreciation rights in the case of death of a holder (in years)	1Y
Value of restricted stock units awarded to each non-employee director on the date of each annual meeting of Cablevision's stockholders	110,000
Number of restricted stock units granted to non-employee directors (in shares)	32,640		52,151
Total non-employee director restricted stock units outstanding (in shares)	235,826
Long-Term Incentive Plan [Member]
Long-Term Incentive Plans [Abstract]
Long-term incentive awards compensation expense	2,920		48,410		44,106
Accrued performance-based awards for which performance criteria had not yet been met	1,970
AMC Networks Inc. [Member]
Treatment of Share-Based Payment Awards After the Distribution [Abstract]
Number of trading days subsequent to the Distribution to calculate weighted average trading prices of common shares (in days)	10
Distribution ratio of option/rights to common stock for Distribution	1:4
Percentage of pre-Distribution exercise price of option/rights allocated to Cablevision option/SARs (in hundredths)	73.59%
Percentage of pre-Distribution exercise price of option/rights allocated to new option/SARs (in hundredths)	26.41%
AMC Networks Inc. and Madison Square Garden [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Number of fully vested stock appreciation rights outstanding (in shares)	57,152
Share-based payment award, options outstanding, additional disclosures [Abstract]
Balance at beginning of period, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 11.57	[1]
Exercised, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 14.05	[1]
Balance at end of period, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 7.97	[1]
Options exercisable at end of period, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 8.29	[1]
Options expected to vest in the future, weighted average exercise price per share (in dollars per share)	$ 6.24	[1]
Balance at beginning of period, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	4.29
Balance at end of period, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	3.10
Options exercisable at end of period, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	3.17
Options expected to vest in the future, weighted average remaining contractual term (in years)	2.68
Balance at beginning of period, aggregate intrinsic value	22,252	[2]
Balance at end of period, aggregate intrinsic value	4,933	[2]
Options exercisable at end of period, aggregate intrinsic value	3,933	[2]
Options expected to vest in the future, aggregate intrinsic value	1,000	[2]
Share-based payment award, restricted shares, additional disclosures [Abstract]
Unvested award balance at beginning of period, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 14.48	[3]
Granted, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 36.10	[3]
Vested, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 19.69	[3]
Transfers, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 14.44	[3],[4]
Awards forfeited, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 12.13	[3]
Awards forfeited in connection with the AMC Networks Distribution, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 26.57	[3],[5]
Unvested award balance at end of period, weighted average fair value per share at date of grant (in dollars per share)	$ 9.37	[3]
AMC Networks Inc. and Madison Square Garden [Member] | Restricted Shares [Member]
Share-based payment award, restricted shares [Roll Forward]
Unvested award balance at beginning of period (in shares)	2,914,770
Granted (in shares)	303,530
Vested (in shares)	(749,390)
Transfers (in shares)	145,860
Awards forfeited (in shares)	(200,700)
Awards forfeited in connection with the AMC Networks Distribution (in shares)	(327,620)
Unvested award balance at end of period (in shares)	2,086,450
AMC Networks Inc. and Madison Square Garden [Member] | Performance Restricted Shares [Member]
Share-based payment award, restricted shares [Roll Forward]
Unvested award balance at beginning of period (in shares)	0
Granted (in shares)	76,090
Vested (in shares)	0
Transfers (in shares)	0
Awards forfeited (in shares)	0
Awards forfeited in connection with the AMC Networks Distribution (in shares)	(76,090)
Unvested award balance at end of period (in shares)	0
AMC Networks Inc. and Madison Square Garden [Member] | Time Vesting Options [Member]
Share-based payment award, options outstanding [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period (in shares)	906,985
Exercised (in shares)	(153,077)
Balance at end of period (in shares)	753,908
Options exercisable at end of period (in shares)	628,642
Options expected to vest in the future (in shares)	125,266
AMC Networks Inc. and Madison Square Garden [Member] | Performance Vesting Options [Member]
Share-based payment award, options outstanding [Roll Forward]
Balance at beginning of period (in shares)	92,200
Exercised (in shares)	(59,800)
Balance at end of period (in shares)	32,400
Options exercisable at end of period (in shares)	32,400
Options expected to vest in the future (in shares)	0
Madison Square Garden [Member]
Treatment of Share-Based Payment Awards After the Distribution [Abstract]
Number of trading days subsequent to the Distribution to calculate weighted average trading prices of common shares (in days)	10
Distribution ratio of option/rights to common stock for Distribution	1:4
Percentage of pre-Distribution exercise price of option/rights allocated to Cablevision option/SARs (in hundredths)	82.63%
Percentage of pre-Distribution exercise price of option/rights allocated to new option/SARs (in hundredths)	17.37%
CSC Holdings, LLC [Member]
Share-based Compensation Arrangement by Share-based Payment Award [Line Items]
Excess tax benefit on share-based awards	$ 11,196		$ 0		$ 0

[1] Option exercise prices relating to activity occurring on and subsequent to the AMC Networks Distribution date were adjusted to 73.59% of their pre-AMC Networks Distribution exercise prices.

[2] The aggregate intrinsic value is calculated as the difference between (i) the exercise price of the underlying award and (ii) the quoted price of CNYG Class A common stock on December 31, 2011 or December 31, 2010, as indicated, and December 31, 2011 in the case of the options expected to vest in the future.

[3] Restricted share grant date fair values relating to activity occurring on and subsequent to the AMC Networks Distribution date were adjusted to 73.59% of their pre-AMC Networks Distribution grant date fair value per share amount.

[4] Represents the transfer of restricted stock awards for employees who transferred from/to Cablevision affiliated entities to/from AMC Networks during the period.

[5] Represents restricted shares granted in March 2011 to AMC Networks' employees (including employees transferred from Cablevision) which were cancelled and replaced with AMC Networks shares in connection with the AMC Networks Distribution.