Segment Information (Tables)
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3 Months Ended | 
Mar. 31, 2016  | 
| Segment Information | 
 
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| Schedule of performance measures | 
 
		
			
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				 | 
				
					 
						  
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						Three months ended  March 31,  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						2016 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						2015 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Adjusted 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Adjusted 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Revenue 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						OIBDA 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Revenue 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						OIBDA 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						(amounts in thousands) 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						TruePosition 
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
3,831
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
(3,970)
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
13,316
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
(2,519)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Charter 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,530,000
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
865,000
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,362,000
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
782,000
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Corporate and other 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  — 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(2,762)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  — 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(2,916)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,533,831
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
858,268
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,375,316
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
776,565
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Eliminate equity method affiliate 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(2,530,000)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(865,000)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(2,362,000)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(782,000)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Consolidated Liberty Broadband 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
3,831
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(6,732)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
13,316
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(5,435)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
		  
		
			 
		 
 
  
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| Schedule of segment reporting information | 
 
		
			 
		 
		
			 
		 
		
			
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				| 
					 
						  
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				 | 
				
					 
						March 31, 2016 
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				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Total 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Investments 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						Capital 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						assets 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						in affiliates 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						expenditures 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						(amounts in thousands) 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						TruePosition 
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
49,459
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
					 
						— 
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
20
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Charter 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
40,524,000
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						— 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
429,000
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Corporate and other 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
3,691,429
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,301,210
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						— 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
44,264,888
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,301,210
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
429,020
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Eliminate equity method affiliate 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(40,524,000)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  — 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(429,000)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Consolidated Liberty Broadband 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
3,740,888
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,301,210
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
20
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
		  
		
			 
		 
 
  
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| Schedule of reconciliation of segment Adjusted OIBDA to earnings (loss) before income taxes | 
 
		
			
				| 
					 
						  
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				 | 
				
					 
						  
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				| 
					 
						  
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				 | 
				
					 
						Three months 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						ended March 31,  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						2016 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						2015 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						(amounts in thousands) 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Consolidated segment Adjusted OIBDA 
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
(6,732)
				 | 
				
					 
						     
				 | 
				
(5,435)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Stock-based compensation 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(1,622)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(1,355)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Depreciation and amortization 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(986)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(3,244)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Net gain on legal settlement 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  — 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
60,505
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Interest expense 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(2,441)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(1,761)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Dividend and interest income 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
2,189
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
1,036
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Share of earnings (loss) of affiliates 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(70,278)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(43,050)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Realized and unrealized gains (losses) on financial instruments, net 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
45,005
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(1,329)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Gain (loss) on dilution of investment in affiliate 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(1,724)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(410)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Other, net 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
71
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
(24)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
			
				| 
					 
						Earnings (loss) before income taxes 
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
					 
						$ 
				 | 
				
(36,518)
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
				
4,933
				 | 
				
					 
						  
				 | 
			 
		  
		
			 
		 
 
  
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