FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2013

FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT [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, 2013 and December 31, 2012:

	March 31, 2013
	Level I		Level II		Level III		Total
Assets:
Money market funds	$	175,567	$	-	$	-	$	175,567
Investment securities		138		-		-		138
Investment securities pledged as collateral		902,274		-		-		902,274
Prepaid forward contracts		-		4,002		-		4,002
Liabilities:
Liabilities under derivative contracts:
Prepaid forward contracts		-		188,415		-		188,415

	December 31, 2012
	Level I		Level II		Level III		Total
Assets:
Money market funds	$	250,699	$	-	$	-	$	250,699
Investment securities		122		-		-		122
Investment securities pledged as collateral		802,834		-		-		802,834
Prepaid forward contracts		-		3,143		-		3,143
Liabilities:
Prepaid forward contracts		-		148,263		-		148,263

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, 2013
	Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount		Estimated Fair Value
CSC Holdings notes receivable:
Cablevision senior notes held by Newsday Holdings LLC(a)	Level II	$	753,717	$	846,128
Debt instruments:
Credit facility debt(b)	Level II	$	3,882,221	$	3,882,221
Collateralized indebtedness	Level II		600,375		589,504
Senior notes and debentures	Level II		2,598,555		2,995,288
Notes payable	Level II		11,730		11,730
CSC Holdings total debt instruments			7,092,881		7,478,743
Cablevision senior notes	Level II		2,891,901		3,193,575
Cablevision total debt instruments		$	9,984,782	$	10,672,318

		December 31, 2012
	Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount		Estimated Fair Value
CSC Holdings notes receivable:
Cablevision senior notes held by Newsday Holdings LLC(a)	Level II	$	753,717	$	842,184
Debt instruments:
Credit facility debt(b)	Level II	$	3,914,001	$	3,914,001
Collateralized indebtedness	Level II		556,152		540,831
Senior notes and debentures	Level II		2,596,683		2,980,258
Notes payable	Level II		12,585		12,585
CSC Holdings total debt instruments			7,079,421		7,447,675
Cablevision senior notes	Level II		2,891,536		3,198,170
Cablevision total debt instruments		$	9,970,957	$	10,645,845

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

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