Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Long Term Debt (Narratives) (Details)

v2.4.1.9
Long Term Debt (Narratives) (Details) (USD $)
 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended 12 Months Ended 0 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2014
Apr. 30, 2013
Dec. 31, 2013
Jun. 30, 2014
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Total leverage ratio 5.95gncma_LineofCreditFacilityTotalLeverageRatio      
Senior leverage ratio 3.00gncma_LineofCreditFacilitySeniorLeverageRatio      
Interest coverage ratio 2.50gncma_LineofCreditFacilityInterestCoverageRatio      
Long-term debt, gross $ 1,038,796,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount   $ 1,050,425,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount  
Amount outstanding 39,000,000us-gaap_LineOfCredit      
Letters of credit outstanding 22,500,000us-gaap_LettersOfCreditOutstandingAmount      
Remaining borrowing capacity 88,500,000us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityRemainingBorrowingCapacity      
Senior Credit Facility        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Unamortized deferred loan costs   100,000us-gaap_WriteOffOfDeferredDebtIssuanceCost
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= gncma_SeniorCreditFacilityMember 		   
Deferred finance costs     700,000us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNet
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= gncma_SeniorCreditFacilityMember 		 
Loan fees and other expenses     400,000us-gaap_DebtRelatedCommitmentFeesAndDebtIssuanceCosts
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= gncma_SeniorCreditFacilityMember 		 
Amortization of financing costs     3,000,000us-gaap_AmortizationOfFinancingCosts
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= gncma_SeniorCreditFacilityMember 		 
UUI and Unicom | Minimum        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Debt percentage 2.40%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= gncma_UuiAndUnicomMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		     
UUI and Unicom | Maximum        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Debt percentage 4.50%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= gncma_UuiAndUnicomMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		     
2021 Notes | Line of Credit        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Stated percentage 6.75%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
Earliest call date Jun. 01, 2016      
Maturity date Jun. 01, 2021      
Frequency of periodic payment Semi-annual interest payments      
Percentage of principal amount if default 25.00%gncma_DebtInstrumentPercentageofPrincipalAmountDefault
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
Closing costs 3,600,000us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsGross
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
Long-term debt, gross 325,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		[1]   325,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		[1]  
2021 Notes | Line of Credit | Minimum        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Amount eligible for purchase 1,000gncma_DebtInstrumentAmountEligibleforPurchase
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		     
Percentage of principal amount 100.00%gncma_DebtInstrumentPercentageofPrincipalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		     
2021 Notes | Line of Credit | Maximum        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Amount eligible for purchase 2,000gncma_DebtInstrumentAmountEligibleforPurchase
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		     
Percentage of principal amount 101.00%gncma_DebtInstrumentPercentageofPrincipalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyTwentyOneMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		     
2019 Notes | Line of Credit        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Stated percentage 8.63%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateStatedPercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
Maturity date Nov. 15, 2019      
Frequency of periodic payment Semi-annual interest payments      
Percentage of principal amount if default 25.00%gncma_DebtInstrumentPercentageofPrincipalAmountDefault
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
Closing costs 9,400,000us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsGross
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
Long-term debt, gross 425,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		[2]   425,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		[2]  
Debt percentage 9.09%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentInterestRateEffectivePercentage
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
2019 Notes | Line of Credit | Minimum        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Amount eligible for purchase 1,000gncma_DebtInstrumentAmountEligibleforPurchase
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		     
Percentage of principal amount 100.00%gncma_DebtInstrumentPercentageofPrincipalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MinimumMember 		     
2019 Notes | Line of Credit | Maximum        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Amount eligible for purchase 2,000gncma_DebtInstrumentAmountEligibleforPurchase
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		     
Percentage of principal amount 101.00%gncma_DebtInstrumentPercentageofPrincipalAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_SeniorNotesDueTwentyNineteenMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember
/ us-gaap_RangeAxis
= us-gaap_MaximumMember 		     
Wells Fargo Note | Notes Payable to Banks        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Deferred finance costs 100,000us-gaap_DeferredFinanceCostsNet
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_WellsFargoNoteMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember 		     
Long-term debt, gross 9,767,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_WellsFargoNoteMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember 		[3]   0us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_WellsFargoNoteMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember 		[3]  
Debt Instrument, face Amount       10,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentFaceAmount
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_WellsFargoNoteMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember
Notes Payable to Banks | Line of Credit        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Maximum borrowing capacity 240,000,000.0us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
Notes Payable to Banks | Term Loan        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Long-term debt, gross 240,000,000us-gaap_DebtInstrumentCarryingAmount
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_TermLoanMember 		     
Revolving Credit Facility | Line of Credit        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Maximum borrowing capacity $ 150,000,000.0us-gaap_LineOfCreditFacilityMaximumBorrowingCapacity
/ us-gaap_CreditFacilityAxis
= us-gaap_RevolvingCreditFacilityMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_LineOfCreditMember 		     
London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) | Wells Fargo Note | Notes Payable to Banks        
Debt Instrument [Line Items]        
Basis spread on variable rate       2.25%us-gaap_DebtInstrumentBasisSpreadOnVariableRate1
/ us-gaap_DebtInstrumentAxis
= gncma_WellsFargoNoteMember
/ us-gaap_LongtermDebtTypeAxis
= us-gaap_NotesPayableToBanksMember
/ us-gaap_VariableRateAxis
= us-gaap_LondonInterbankOfferedRateLIBORMember
[1] We pay interest of 6.75% on notes that are due in 2021 ("2021 Notes"). The 2021 Notes are senior unsecured obligations which rank equally in right of payment with our existing and future senior unsecured debt, including our 2019 Notes, and senior in right of payment to all future subordinated indebtedness.
[2] We pay interest of 8.63% on notes that are due in 2019 (“2019 Notes”). The 2019 Notes are senior unsecured obligations which rank equally in right of payment with the existing and future senior unsecured debt, including our 2021 Notes described previously, and senior in right of payment to all future subordinated indebtedness. The 2019 Notes are carried on our Consolidated Balance Sheets net of the unamortized portion of the discount, which is being amortized to Interest Expense over the term of the 2019 Notes using the effective interest method and an effective interest rate of 9.09%.
[3] GCI Holdings, entered into a $10.0 million loan agreement with Wells Fargo Bank on June 30, 2014 to finance the purchase of a building. The note matures on July 15, 2029 and is due in monthly installments of principal and interest. The interest rate is variable at one month LIBOR plus 2.25%. The note is subject to similar affirmative and negative covenants as our Senior Credit Facility. The obligations under the note are secured by a