LONG-TERM DEBT AND OTHER FINANCING ARRANGEMENTS Credit Facility (Details)									1 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2011 USD ($)		Dec. 31, 2010 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 2013 Convertible Notes [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 09, 2011 2013 Convertible Notes [Member] USD ($)	Feb. 18, 2011 2013 Convertible Notes [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 2013 Convertible Notes [Member] USD ($)	Mar. 31, 2008 2013 Convertible Notes [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 26, 2011 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 26, 2011 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] CZK	Sep. 26, 2011 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] USD ($)	Sep. 26, 2011 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] CZK	Dec. 31, 2011 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] CZK	Dec. 31, 2010 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] CZK	Oct. 21, 2010 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] USD ($)	Oct. 21, 2010 CET 21 [Member] Secured Debt [Member] CZK	Dec. 31, 2011 BMG Bank Mendes Gans [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 BMG Bank Mendes Gans [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Ceska Sporitelna [Member] Subsidiaries [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 Ceska Sporitelna [Member] Subsidiaries [Member] CZK	Dec. 31, 2011 CNC Central National Cinematografei [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 CNC Central National Cinematografei [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 CNC Central National Cinematografei [Member] Media Pro Entertainment Segment [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2011 CNC Central National Cinematografei [Member] Media Pro Entertainment Segment [Member] RON	Dec. 31, 2010 CNC Central National Cinematografei [Member] Media Pro Entertainment Segment [Member] USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2010 CNC Central National Cinematografei [Member] Media Pro Entertainment Segment [Member] RON
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Debt Instrument, Face Amount				$ 129,660,000	$ 261,000,000	$ 261,000,000	$ 440,200,000	$ 475,000,000
Credit facilities	77,464,000		14,004,000												0			0	12,300,000
Capital leases	3,698,000		4,236,000
Total credit facilites and capital leases	81,162,000		18,240,000
Current maturities	(1,058,000)		(13,562,000)
Total non current credit facilites an capital leasesd Capital Leases	80,104,000		4,678,000
Line of credit facility cash pooling arrangment deposit																		37,000,000	20,300,000
Line Of Credit Facility Interest Rate Margin													4.50%	4.50%				2.00%		2.50%	2.50%
Line of Credit Facility, Maximum Borrowing Capacity													37,600,000	750,000,000		75,200,000	1,500,000,000			15,000,000	300,000,000
Line of Credit Facility, Interest Rate at Period End													5.97%	5.97%
Line of Credit Facility, Increase, Additional Borrowings									25,100,000	500,000,000	50,200,000	1,000,000,000
Long-term Debt	1,324,369,000	[1]	1,359,784,000																					2,200,000	7,400,000	2,800,000	9,300,000
Number Of Loans Oustanding																						12
Long Term Debt Fair Value Adjustment																						$ 1,000,000	$ 1,200,000

[1] Third party debt is defined as credit facilities and capital leases or debt with entities that are not part of the CME Ltd. consolidated group.