FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT (Tables)

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2015

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, 2015 and December 31, 2014:

	At March 31, 2015
	Level I		Level II		Level III		Total
Assets:
Money market funds	$	783,234	$	—	$	—	$	783,234
Investment securities	137		—		—		137
Investment securities pledged as collateral	1,212,841		—		—		1,212,841
Prepaid forward contracts	—		25,497		—		25,497
Liabilities:
Prepaid forward contracts	—		58,342		—		58,342

	At December 31, 2014
	Level I		Level II		Level III		Total
Assets:
Money market funds	$	736,330	$	—	$	—	$	736,330
Investment securities	132		—		—		132
Investment securities pledged as collateral	1,245,916		—		—		1,245,916
Prepaid forward contracts	—		7,317		—		7,317
Liabilities:
Prepaid forward contracts	—		102,217		—		102,217

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, 2015
	Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount		Estimated Fair Value
CSC Holdings notes receivable:
Cablevision senior notes held by Newsday Holdings LLC (a)	Level II	$	611,455	$	684,705
Debt instruments:
Credit facility debt (b)	Level II	$	2,765,430	$	2,770,513
Collateralized indebtedness	Level II	1,033,040		1,014,426
Senior notes and debentures	Level II	3,062,844		3,385,095
Notes payable	Level II	20,982		20,792
CSC Holdings total debt instruments		6,882,296		7,190,826
Cablevision senior notes	Level II	2,794,175		3,091,103
Cablevision total debt instruments		$	9,676,471	$	10,281,929

		December 31, 2014
	Fair Value Hierarchy	Carrying Amount		Estimated Fair Value
CSC Holdings notes receivable:
Cablevision senior notes held by Newsday Holdings LLC (a)	Level II	$	611,455	$	680,587
Debt instruments:
Credit facility debt (b)	Level II	$	2,780,649	$	2,785,975
Collateralized indebtedness	Level II	986,183		957,803
Senior notes and debentures	Level II	3,062,126		3,368,875
Notes payable	Level II	23,911		23,682
CSC Holdings total debt instruments		6,852,869		7,136,335
Cablevision senior notes	Level II	2,793,741		3,048,387
Cablevision total debt instruments		$	9,646,610	$	10,184,722

(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.