FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENT (Tables)

12 Months Ended

Dec. 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 December 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:

	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

	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 and Estimated Fair Values 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 consolidated balance sheets, are summarized as follows:

		December 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	$	616,020
Debt instruments:
Credit facility debt (b)	Level II	$	2,521,942	$	2,525,654
Collateralized indebtedness	Level II	1,191,324		1,176,396
Senior notes and debentures	Level II	3,065,092		2,996,440
Notes payable	Level II	14,544		14,483
CSC Holdings total debt instruments		6,792,902		6,712,973
Cablevision senior notes	Level II	2,795,550		2,760,168
Cablevision total debt instruments		$	9,588,452	$	9,473,141

		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.