COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES Programming Rights Agreements and Other Commitments (Details) $ in Thousands, RON in Millions, CZK in Millions		12 Months Ended
		Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2015 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2014 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 CZK	Dec. 31, 2016 USD ($)	Dec. 31, 2016 RON
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due, Next Twelve Months						$ 3,374
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Two Years						2,077
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments Due						8,610
Rent expense		$ 9,400	$ 7,800	$ 10,000
Long-term Line of Credit	[1],[2],[3]		0			$ 0
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Three Years						$ 923
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Four Years						476
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due in Five Years						327
Operating Leases, Future Minimum Payments, Due Thereafter						1,433
Machinery and Equipment [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Next Rolling Twelve Months						609
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Two						0
Total commitments						609
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Three						0
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Four						0
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Five						0
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling after Year Five						0
Purchase Commitment [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Next Rolling Twelve Months						43,462
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Two						34,889
Total commitments			$ 144,900			128,212
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Three						32,074
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Four						14,003
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Five						1,503
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling after Year Five						2,281
Transmission Service Agreement [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Next Rolling Twelve Months						17,545
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Two						5,157
Total commitments						34,275
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Three						10,851
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Four						356
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling Year Five						322
Unrecorded Unconditional Purchase Obligation, Due in Rolling after Year Five						44
CET 21 [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity					CZK 735.0	$ 28,700
ROMANIA
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					100.00%	100.00%	100.00%
BULGARIA
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Noncontrolling Interest, Ownership Percentage by Parent					94.00%	94.00%	94.00%
Pro TV [Member] | Global Funds IFN S.A. [Member]
Long-term Purchase Commitment [Line Items]
Line of credit, maximum borrowing capacity						$ 25,300	RON 109.0
Long-term Line of Credit						$ 24,600	RON 105.7

[1] As at December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2015, there were no drawings outstanding under a CZK 735.0 million (approximately US$ 28.7 million) factoring framework agreement with Factoring Ceska Sporitelna (“FCS”). Under this facility, up to CZK 735.0 million (approximately US$ 28.7 million) of receivables from certain customers in the Czech Republic may be factored on a recourse or non-recourse basis. The facility has a factoring fee of 0.3% of any factored receivable and bears interest at one-month PRIBOR plus 2.5% per annum for the period that receivables are factored and outstanding.

[2] As at December 31, 2016 there were RON 105.7 million (approximately US$ 24.6 million) of receivables factored under a factoring framework agreement with Global Funds IFN S.A. entered into in the first quarter of 2016. Under this facility, receivables from certain customers in Romania may be factored on a non-recourse basis. The facility has a factoring fee of 4.0% of any factored receivable and bears interest at 6.0% per annum from the date the receivables are factored to the due date of the factored receivable.

[3] We have a cash pooling arrangement with Bank Mendes Gans (“BMG”), a subsidiary of ING Bank N.V. (“ING”), which enables us to receive credit across the group in respect of cash balances which our subsidiaries deposit with BMG. Cash deposited by our subsidiaries with BMG is pledged as security against the drawings of other subsidiaries up to the amount deposited.As at December 31, 2016, we had deposits of US$ 16.4 million in and no drawings on the BMG cash pool. Interest is earned on deposits at the relevant money market rate. As at December 31, 2015, we had deposits of US$ 19.6 million in and no drawings on the BMG cash pool.