Debt and Other Obligations (Indebtedness) (Details) (USD $)			3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended				3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended					3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended			3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2013	Mar. 31, 2014 Capital Lease Obligations and Other [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Capital Lease Obligations and Other [Member]	May 02, 2014 Four and Seven Eigths Percent Secured Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]	May 02, 2014 Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes First Tranche [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Bank Debt [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Bank Debt [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Bank Debt [Member] Variable Rate Revolver 2012 [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Bank Debt [Member] Variable Rate Revolver 2012 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Bank Debt [Member] Variable Rate 2012 Term Loans [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Bank Debt [Member] Variable Rate 2012 Term Loans [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Bank Debt [Member] Variable Rate 2012 Term Loans Tranche B [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Bank Debt [Member] Variable Rate 2012 Term Loans Tranche B [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Securitized Debt [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 Securitized Debt [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Securitized Debt [Member] Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Securitized Debt [Member] Fixed Rate Securitized Debt January 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Securitized Debt [Member] Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Securitized Debt [Member] Fixed Rate Securitized Debt August 2010 Tower Revenue Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Securitized Debt [Member] Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Securitized Debt [Member] Fixed Rate Debt 2009 Securitized Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Securitized Debt [Member] WCP Securitized Notes [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 Securitized Debt [Member] WCP Securitized Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 High Yield Bonds [Member]	Dec. 31, 2013 High Yield Bonds [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 High Yield Bonds [Member] Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.125% Senior Notes [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 High Yield Bonds [Member] Fixed Rate - High Yield Bonds, 7.125% Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 High Yield Bonds [Member] Five and One Fourth Senior Notes [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 High Yield Bonds [Member] Five and One Fourth Senior Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 High Yield Bonds [Member] 2012 Secured Notes [Member]		Dec. 31, 2013 High Yield Bonds [Member] 2012 Secured Notes [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 CCOC [Member] 2012 Credit Facility [Member] Senior Secured 2012 Revolver [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Repayments of debt 2013 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Repayments of debt 2015 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Repayments of debt 2016 [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Repayments of debt thereafter [Member]	Mar. 31, 2014 Repayments of debt 2017 [Domain]	Mar. 31, 2014 repayments of debt 2018 [Domain]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal, Remainder of Fiscal Year																																														$ 76,614,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Two																																															100,664,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Three																																																115,313,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Four																																																		613,459,000
Long-term Debt, Maturities, Repayments of Principal in Year Five																																																	9,670,144,000		992,133,000
Total revolving commitment																																													1,500,000,000
Debt instrument, face amount						850,000,000		300,000,000
Debt Instrument Additional Interest Rate Margin							5.00%
Original issue date											Jan. 01, 2012			Jan. 01, 2012			Jan. 01, 2012					Jan. 01, 2010			Aug. 01, 2010			Jul. 01, 2009			Jan. 01, 2010					Oct. 01, 2009			Oct. 01, 2012			Dec. 01, 2012
Contractual maturity date			Various	[1]							Nov. 2018/Jan. 2019	[1]		Nov. 2018/Jan. 2019	[1]		Jan. 2019/Jan. 2021	[1],[2]				2035 - 2040	[1],[3]		2035 - 2040	[1],[3]		2019/2029	[1],[3]		Nov. 2040	[1],[3]				Nov. 2019	[1]		Jan. 2023	[1]		Dec. 2017/Apr. 2023	[1]
Total debt and other obligations	11,573,326,000	11,594,500,000	136,816,000		129,585,000				3,883,349,000	3,900,650,000	368,000,000	[4]	374,000,000	658,359,000		662,500,000	2,856,990,000	[2]	2,864,150,000	3,904,801,000	3,915,963,000	1,900,000,000		1,900,000,000	1,550,000,000		1,550,000,000	175,071,000		179,792,000	279,730,000		286,171,000	3,648,360,000	3,648,302,000	498,390,000		498,332,000	1,649,970,000		1,649,970,000	1,500,000,000		1,500,000,000
Original Debt Issuance Date			Various
Less: current maturities and short-term debt and other current obligations	105,467,000	103,586,000
Non-current portion of long-term debt and other long-term obligations	11,467,859,000	11,490,914,000
Stated interest rate						4.875%								2.20%	[1],[5]		3.30%	[1],[5]				5.80%	[1],[5]		4.50%	[1],[5]		7.40%	[1],[5]		5.60%	[1],[5]				7.10%	[1],[5]		5.25%	[1],[5]		3.36%	[1],[5]
Percentage of debt instrument interest rate stated			Various	[1],[5]							0.0216	[1],[5]
Total cash obligations	11,568,327,000
Unamortized adjustments, net	4,999,000
Long-term debt	11,573,326,000
Debt Instrument, Unused Borrowing Capacity, Amount																																													$ 1,100,000,000

[1] See the 2013 Form 10-K, including note 7, for additional information regarding the maturity and principal amortization provisions and interest rates relating to the Company's indebtedness.

[2] During January 2014, the Company amended the 2012 Credit Facility by extending the maturity date on a portion of the Tranche B Term Loans, including Incremental Tranche B Term Loans, to January 2021. As of March 31, 2014, the Company's Tranche B Term Loans, including the Incremental Tranche B Term Loans and the Incremental Tranche B-2 Term Loans, consist of $2.3 billion aggregate principal amount due January 2021 and $569.8 million aggregate principal amount due January 2019.

[3] If the respective series of such debt is not paid in full on or prior to an applicable date then Excess Cash Flow (as defined in the indenture) of the issuers of such notes will be used to repay principal of the applicable series, and additional interest (of an additional approximately 5% per annum) will accrue on the respective series. See the 2013 Form 10-K for additional information regarding these provisions.(d)

[4] As of March 31, 2014, the undrawn availability under the $1.5 billion 2012 Revolver is $1.1 billion.

[5] Represents the weighted-average stated interest rate.