FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2016

Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]

Assets and Liabilities Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The following table presents for each of these hierarchy levels, the Company's financial assets and financial liabilities that are measured at fair value on a recurring basis at March 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015:

	At March 31, 2016
	Level I		Level II		Level III		Total
Assets:
Money market funds	$	853,138	$	—	$	—	$	853,138
Investment securities	152		—		—		152
Investment securities pledged as collateral	1,311,853		—		—		1,311,853
Prepaid forward contracts	—		38,768		—		38,768
Liabilities:
Prepaid forward contracts	—		7,078		—		7,078

	At December 31, 2015
	Level I		Level II		Level III		Total
Assets:
Money market funds	$	922,765	$	—	$	—	$	922,765
Investment securities	130		—		—		130
Investment securities pledged as collateral	1,211,982		—		—		1,211,982
Prepaid forward contracts	—		82,408		—		82,408
Liabilities:
Prepaid forward contracts	—		2,706		—		2,706

Carrying Amounts, Estimated Fair Values and Classification Under the Fair Value Hierarchy of Financial Instruments, Excluding Those Carried at Fair Value

The carrying values, estimated fair values, and classification under the fair value hierarchy of the Company's financial instruments, excluding those that are carried at fair value in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, are summarized as follows:

		March 31, 2016
	Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount (c)		Estimated Fair Value
CSC Holdings notes receivable:
Cablevision senior notes held by Newsday Holdings LLC (a)	Level II	$	611,455	$	616,020
Debt instruments:
Credit facility debt (b)	Level II	$	2,500,453	$	2,510,701
Collateralized indebtedness	Level II	1,191,324		1,175,291
Senior notes and debentures	Level II	3,034,301		2,996,440
Notes payable	Level II	10,170		10,130
CSC Holdings total debt instruments		6,736,248		6,692,562
Cablevision senior notes	Level II	2,771,096		2,760,168
Cablevision total debt instruments		$	9,507,344	$	9,452,730

		December 31, 2015
	Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount (c)		Estimated Fair Value
CSC Holdings notes receivable:
Cablevision senior notes held by Newsday Holdings LLC (a)	Level II	$	611,455	$	616,020
Debt instruments:
Credit facility debt (b)	Level II	$	2,514,454	$	2,525,654
Collateralized indebtedness	Level II	1,191,324		1,176,396
Senior notes and debentures	Level II	3,032,252		2,996,440
Notes payable	Level II	14,544		14,483
CSC Holdings total debt instruments		6,752,574		6,712,973
Cablevision senior notes	Level II	2,768,759		2,760,168
Cablevision total debt instruments		$	9,521,333	$	9,473,141

(a) These notes are eliminated at the consolidated Cablevision level.

(b) The principal amount of the Company's credit facility debt, which bears interest at variable rates, approximates its fair value.

(c) Amounts are net of unamortized deferred financing costs and discounts.