CONDENSED CONSOLIDATING FINANCIAL STATEMENTS: (Details 3) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net (loss) income	$ (54,116)	$ 12,903	$ (26,625)
Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	38,715	37,069	17,385
Amortization of debt financing costs	3,073	3,750	2,970
Amortization of launch assets	9,961	0	0
Amortization of content assets	47,328	31,539	0
Deferred income taxes	34,728	64,151	1,311
Write off of debt financing costs	0	0	3,055
Gain on investment in affiliated company	0	(146,879)	0
Equity in net income of affiliated company	0	(3,287)	(5,558)
Impairment of long term assets	313	22,331	36,063
Stock-based compensation	171	5,146	5,799
Non cash interest	15,089	26,023	0
Loss (gain) on retirement of debt	0	7,743	(6,646)
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable, net	1,931	2,974	(11,398)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	1,300	3,245	(3,442)
Other assets	340	3,843	7,122
Accounts payable	(216)	(2,823)	(1,153)
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries	0	0	0
Accrued interest	(854)	2,145	(4,941)
Accrued compensation and related benefits	184	(1,640)	474
Income taxes payable	(1,794)	123	138
Other liabilities	4,363	(13,788)	3,416
Payments for content assets	(54,984)	(23,412)	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities from discontinued operations	(85)	450	(134)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	45,447	31,606	17,836
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of property and equipment	(12,485)	(9,445)	(4,322)
Purchase of Reach Media shares	(2,000)	0	0
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation	0	65,245	0
Proceeds from sales of investment securities	9,122
Acquisition of launch assets	(54)	0	0
Purchases of investment securities	(2,627)
Purchase of intangible assets	0	0	(342)
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities	(8,044)	55,800	(4,664)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility	0	378,280	342,000
Repayment of credit facility	(5,789)	(356,576)	(339,343)
Debt refinancing and modification costs	(2,557)	(6,253)	(19,750)
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests	0	(54,595)	0
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member	0	2,776	0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of Reach Media	0	(1,511)	(2,844)
Proceeds from issuance of senior subordinated notes	0	0	286,794
Repayment of senior subordinated notes	0	0	(290,800)
Repayment of other debt	0	(1,000)	0
Repurchase of common stock	0	(9,474)	0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of TV One	(7,741)	(12,306)	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(16,087)	(60,659)	(23,943)
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	21,316	26,747	(10,771)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	35,939	9,192	19,963
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	57,255	35,939	9,192
Guarantor Subsidiaries [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net (loss) income	37,539	18,928	31,957
Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	7,170	7,995	9,825
Amortization of debt financing costs	0	0	0
Amortization of launch assets	0
Amortization of content assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Write off of debt financing costs			0
Gain on investment in affiliated company		0
Equity in net income of affiliated company		0	0
Impairment of long term assets	313	14,509	0
Stock-based compensation	0	0	0
Non cash interest	0	0
Loss (gain) on retirement of debt		0	0
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable, net	1,042	520	(2,484)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	674	(351)	476
Other assets	(39)	291	984
Accounts payable	226	1,157	(417)
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries	(46,011)	(44,220)	(35,711)
Accrued interest	0	0	0
Accrued compensation and related benefits	151	(374)	(327)
Income taxes payable	0	0	0
Other liabilities	259	686	(499)
Payments for content assets	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities from discontinued operations	0	3	(44)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	1,324	(856)	3,760
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of property and equipment	0	0	0
Purchase of Reach Media shares	0
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation		0
Proceeds from sales of investment securities	0
Acquisition of launch assets	0
Purchases of investment securities	0
Purchase of intangible assets			0
Investment in subsidiaries	0	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities	0	0	0
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility		0	0
Repayment of credit facility	0	0	0
Debt refinancing and modification costs	0	0	0
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests		0
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member		0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of Reach Media		0	(2,844)
Proceeds from issuance of senior subordinated notes			0
Repayment of senior subordinated notes			0
Repayment of other debt		0
Repurchase of common stock		0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of TV One	0	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities	0	0	(2,844)
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	1,324	(856)	916
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	187	1,043	127
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	1,511	187	1,043
Radio One [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net (loss) income	(54,116)	12,903	(26,625)
Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	31,545	29,074	7,560
Amortization of debt financing costs	3,073	3,750	2,970
Amortization of launch assets	9,961
Amortization of content assets	47,328	31,539
Deferred income taxes	34,728	64,151	1,311
Write off of debt financing costs			3,055
Gain on investment in affiliated company		(146,879)
Equity in net income of affiliated company		(3,287)	(5,558)
Impairment of long term assets	0	7,822	36,063
Stock-based compensation	171	5,146	5,799
Non cash interest	15,089	26,023
Loss (gain) on retirement of debt		7,743	(6,646)
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable, net	889	2,454	(8,914)
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	626	3,596	(3,918)
Other assets	379	3,552	6,138
Accounts payable	(442)	(3,980)	(736)
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries	46,011	44,220	35,711
Accrued interest	(854)	2,145	(4,941)
Accrued compensation and related benefits	33	(1,266)	801
Income taxes payable	(1,794)	123	138
Other liabilities	4,104	(14,474)	3,915
Payments for content assets	(54,984)	(23,412)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities from discontinued operations	(85)	447	(90)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	81,662	51,390	46,033
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of property and equipment	(12,485)	(9,445)	(4,322)
Purchase of Reach Media shares	(2,000)
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation		65,245
Proceeds from sales of investment securities	9,122
Acquisition of launch assets	(54)
Purchases of investment securities	(2,627)
Purchase of intangible assets			(342)
Investment in subsidiaries	(37,539)	(18,928)	(31,957)
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities	(45,583)	36,872	(36,621)
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility		378,280	342,000
Repayment of credit facility	(5,789)	(356,576)	(339,343)
Debt refinancing and modification costs	(2,557)	(6,253)	(19,750)
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests		(54,595)
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member		2,776
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of Reach Media		(1,511)	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior subordinated notes			286,794
Repayment of senior subordinated notes			(290,800)
Repayment of other debt		(1,000)
Repurchase of common stock		(9,474)
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of TV One	(7,741)	(12,306)
Net cash flows used in financing activities	(16,087)	(60,659)	(21,099)
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	19,992	27,603	(11,687)
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	35,752	8,149	19,836
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	55,744	35,752	8,149
Eliminations [Member]
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Consolidated net (loss) income	(37,539)	(18,928)	(31,957)
Adjustments to reconcile consolidated net income (loss) to net cash from operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0
Amortization of debt financing costs	0	0	0
Amortization of launch assets	0
Amortization of content assets	0	0
Deferred income taxes	0	0	0
Write off of debt financing costs			0
Gain on investment in affiliated company		0	0
Equity in net income of affiliated company		0	0
Impairment of long term assets	0	0	0
Stock-based compensation	0	0	0
Non cash interest	0	0
Loss (gain) on retirement of debt		0	0
Effect of change in operating assets and liabilities, net of assets acquired:
Trade accounts receivable, net	0	0	0
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	0	0	0
Other assets	0	0	0
Accounts payable	0	0	0
Due to corporate/from subsidiaries	0	0	0
Accrued interest	0	0	0
Accrued compensation and related benefits	0	0	0
Income taxes payable	0	0	0
Other liabilities	0	0	0
Payments for content assets	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities from discontinued operations	0	0	0
Net cash flows (used in) provided by operating activities	(37,539)	(18,928)	(31,957)
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Purchase of property and equipment	0	0	0
Purchase of Reach Media shares	0
Net cash and investments acquired in connection with TV One consolidation		0
Proceeds from sales of investment securities	0
Acquisition of launch assets	0
Purchases of investment securities	0
Purchase of intangible assets			0
Investment in subsidiaries	37,539	18,928	31,957
Net cash flows (used in) provided by investing activities	37,539	18,928	31,957
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
Proceeds from credit facility		0	0
Repayment of credit facility	0	0	0
Debt refinancing and modification costs	0	0	0
Repurchase of noncontrolling interests		0
Proceeds from noncontrolling interest member		0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of Reach Media		0	0
Proceeds from issuance of senior subordinated notes	0		0
Repayment of senior subordinated notes			0
Repayment of other debt		0
Repurchase of common stock		0
Payment of dividends to noncontrolling interest shareholders of TV One	0	0
Net cash flows used in financing activities	0	0	0
INCREASE (DECREASE) IN CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, beginning of year	0	0	0
CASH AND CASH EQUIVALENTS, end of year	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0