Debt and Capital Lease Obligations (Details 3) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010	Dec. 31, 2008 SES	Dec. 31, 2012 AMC-15	Dec. 31, 2012 AMC-16	Dec. 31, 2012 Nimiq 5	Dec. 31, 2012 QuetzSat-1 DISH Network
Capital lease obligation
Initial lease term of satellite					10 years	10 years	15 years
Agreement term				10 years				10 years
Future minimum lease payments under capital lease obligations, together with the present value of the net minimum lease payments
2013	$ 148,937,000
2014	153,947,000
2015	87,899,000
2016	87,682,000
2017	87,711,000
Thereafter	514,015,000
Total minimum lease payments	1,080,191,000
Less : Amount representing lease of the orbital location and estimated executory costs (primarily insurance and maintenance) including profit thereon, included in total minimum lease payments	(313,000,000)
Net minimum lease payments	767,191,000
Less : Amount representing interest	(280,733,000)
Present value of net minimum lease payments	486,458,000
Less : Current portion	(66,048,000)
Long-term portion of capital lease obligations	420,410,000
Sublease rental income	79,000,000	62,000,000	52,000,000
Future minimum sublease rental income	$ 1,155,000,000