| 
           Subscriber Revenue (Details) (USD $) 
        In Thousands  | 
        3 Months Ended | 6 Months Ended | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 
           Jun. 30, 2011 
         | 
        
           Jun. 30, 2010 
         | 
        
           Jun. 30, 2011 
         | 
        
           Jun. 30, 2010 
         | 
      |
| Subscriber Revenue | ||||
| Subscription fees | $ 636,251 | $ 598,098 | $ 1,255,542 | $ 1,172,819 | 
| Activation fees | 3,391 | 3,532 | 6,538 | 8,320 | 
| Total subscriber revenue | $ 639,642 | $ 601,630 | $ 1,262,080 | $ 1,181,139 | 
| X | ||||||||||
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- Definition 
          Activation fees. 
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- Definition 
          Subscriber Revenues. 
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| X | ||||||||||
| 
             
- Definition 
          Subscription fees. 
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- Definition 
          Revenue from sale of subscriptions (such as subscriptions to a magazine or newspaper). Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef 
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