Variable Interest Entity, Financial or Other Support, Amount To Other Entity

No definition available.

Name:	gciinc_VariableInterestEntityFinancialorOtherSupportAmountToOtherEntity
Namespace Prefix:	gciinc_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Variable Interest Entity, Financial or Other Support, Interest Rate Percentage

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gciinc_VariableInterestEntityFinancialorOtherSupportInterestRatePercentage
Namespace Prefix:	gciinc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Variable Interest Entity, Percentage of Recapture

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gciinc_VariableInterestEntityPercentageofRecapture
Namespace Prefix:	gciinc_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Variable Interest Entity, Recapture Period

+ References

No definition available.

+ Details

Name:	gciinc_VariableInterestEntityRecapturePeriod
Namespace Prefix:	gciinc_
Data Type:	xbrli:durationItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

Percentage of the difference between reported income tax expense (benefit) and expected income tax expense (benefit) computed by applying the domestic federal statutory income tax rates to pretax income (loss) from continuing operations attributable to investment tax credit.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 12

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32687-109319

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SAB TOPIC 6.I)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=34349781&loc=d3e330036-122817

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 740

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 13

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6907707&loc=d3e32698-109319

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_EffectiveIncomeTaxRateReconciliationTaxCreditsInvestment
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	num:percentItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Definition

The carrying amounts of cash and cash equivalent items which are restricted as to withdrawal or usage. Restrictions may include legally restricted deposits held as compensating balances against borrowing arrangements, contracts entered into with others, or entity statements of intention with regard to particular deposits; however, time deposits and short-term certificates of deposit are not generally included in legally restricted deposits. Excludes compensating balance arrangements that are not agreements which legally restrict the use of cash amounts shown on the balance sheet. This element is for unclassified presentations; for classified presentations there is a separate and distinct element.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher SEC

-Name Regulation S-X (SX)

-Number 210

-Section 02

-Paragraph 1

-Article 5

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 210

-SubTopic 10

-Section S99

-Paragraph 1

-Subparagraph (SX 210.5-02.1)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=6877327&loc=d3e13212-122682

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_RestrictedCashAndCashEquivalents
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying amount of the consolidated Variable Interest Entity's assets included in the reporting entity's statement of financial position.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 3

-Subparagraph (bb)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=d3e5710-111685

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountAssets
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The carrying amount of the consolidated Variable Interest Entity's liabilities included in the reporting entity's statement of financial position.

+ References

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityConsolidatedCarryingAmountLiabilities
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	credit
Period Type:	instant

- Definition

The amount of financial or other support the reporting entity has provided (explicitly or implicitly) to the Variable Interest Entity (VIE) that it was not previously contractually required to provide or that the reporting entity intends to provide, including, for example, situations in which the reporting entity assisted the VIE in obtaining another type of support.

+ References

Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 5A

-Subparagraph (c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=28200181&loc=SL6759159-111685

+ Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityFinancialOrOtherSupportAmount
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:monetaryItemType
Balance Type:	debit
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_VariableInterestEntityLineItems
Namespace Prefix:	us-gaap_
Data Type:	xbrli:stringItemType
Balance Type:	na
Period Type:	duration

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=gciinc_NMTCOneMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=gciinc_NMTCThreeMember
Namespace Prefix:
Data Type:	na
Balance Type:
Period Type:

- Details

Name:	us-gaap_TypeOfArrangementAxis=gciinc_NMTCTwoMember
Namespace Prefix:
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Variable Interest Entities (Details) (Primary Beneficiary [Member], USD $) In Millions, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended	0 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2014	Aug. 30, 2011	Oct. 03, 2012	Dec. 11, 2012	Dec. 31, 2013
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support	$ 59.3
Tax credit percentage	39.00%
Restricted cash	1.1				6.9
Percentage of recapture	100.00%
Recapture period	7 years
Assets	140.9				140.9
Liabilities	104.2				104.2
NMTC 1 [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support		58.3
Interest rate percent on financial support		1.00%
NMTC 1 [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Interest rate percent on financial support		1.00%
NMTC 1 [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Interest rate percent on financial support		3.96%
NMTC 1 [Member] \| US Bancorp [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support to other entity		22.4
NMTC 1 [Member] \| CDE's [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support to other entity		76.8
NMTC 2 [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support			37.7
Interest rate percent on financial support			1.00%
NMTC 2 [Member] \| Minimum [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Interest rate percent on financial support			0.7099%
NMTC 2 [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Interest rate percent on financial support			0.7693%
NMTC 2 [Member] \| US Bancorp [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support to other entity			17.5
NMTC 2 [Member] \| CDE's [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support to other entity			55.2
NMTC 3 [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support				8.2
Interest rate percent on financial support				1.00%
NMTC 3 [Member] \| Maximum [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Interest rate percent on financial support				1.35%
NMTC 3 [Member] \| US Bancorp [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support to other entity				3.8
NMTC 3 [Member] \| CDE's [Member]
Variable Interest Entity [Line Items]
Financial support to other entity				$ 12.0