Mediacom Broadband 10-Q 13 May 15 2015 Q1 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Document And Entity Information [Abstract]
Document Type	10-Q
Amendment Flag	FALSE
Document Period End Date	31-Mar-15
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2015
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q1
Trading Symbol	MCCCB
Entity Registrant Name	MEDIACOM BROADBAND LLC
Entity Central Index Key	1161364
Current Fiscal Year End Date	-19
Entity Filer Category	Non-accelerated Filer
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	0

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets

Consolidated Balance Sheets (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
CURRENT ASSETS
Cash	$10,802	$9,452
Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $2,997 and $3,057	64,305	59,164
Prepaid expenses and other current assets	14,077	9,664
Total current assets	89,184	78,280
Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $1,521,969 and $1,493,705	774,210	775,321
Franchise rights	1,176,908	1,176,908
Goodwill	195,945	195,945
Other assets, net of accumulated amortization of $23,140 and $20,737	34,418	32,959
Total assets	2,270,665	2,259,413
CURRENT LIABILITIES
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities	155,853	144,595
Accounts payable - affiliates	6,568	1,513
Deferred revenue	37,091	36,245
Current portion of long-term debt	13,500	13,500
Total current liabilities	213,012	195,853
Long-term debt, less current portion	1,908,500	1,943,500
Other non-current liabilities	745	743
Total liabilities	2,122,257	2,140,096
Commitments and contingencies (Note 10)
PREFERRED MEMBERS' INTEREST (Note 7)	150,000	150,000
MEMBER'S DEFICIT
Capital distributions	-105,603	-105,644
Retained earnings	104,011	74,961
Total member's deficit	-1,592	-30,683
Total liabilities, preferred members' interest and member's deficit	$2,270,665	$2,259,413

Consolidated_Balance_Sheets_Pa

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Statement of Financial Position [Abstract]
Allowance for doubtful accounts	$2,997	$3,057
Accumulated depreciation on property, plant and equipment	1,521,969	1,493,705
Accumulated amortization on other assets	$23,140	$20,737

Consolidated_Statements_of_Ope

Consolidated Statements of Operations (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Income Statement [Abstract]
Revenues	$239,953	$232,553
Costs and expenses:
Service costs (exclusive of depreciation and amortization)	100,225	93,990
Selling, general and administrative expenses	43,775	44,102
Management fee expense	4,750	4,300
Depreciation and amortization	36,193	39,013
Operating income	55,010	51,148
Interest expense, net	-23,902	-22,961
Gain on derivatives, net	2,660	5,551
Other expense, net	-218	-404
Net income	33,550	33,334
Dividend to preferred members (Note 7)	-4,500	-4,500
Net income applicable to member	$29,050	$28,834

Consolidated_Statements_of_Cas

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES:
Net income	$33,550	$33,334
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash flows provided by operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	36,193	39,013
Gain on derivatives, net	-2,660	-5,551
Amortization of deferred financing costs	1,738	1,319
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Accounts receivable, net	-5,141	1,864
Accounts receivable - affiliates		4,444
Prepaid expenses and other assets	-6,182	-848
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities	14,313	2,822
Accounts payable - affiliates	5,055	5,765
Deferred revenue	846	371
Other non-current liabilities	2	-2
Net cash flows provided by operating activities	77,714	82,531
CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES:
Capital expenditures	-34,410	-32,742
Change in accrued property, plant and equipment	-82	4,280
Proceeds from sale of assets	34
Acquisition of other intangible assets	-1,559
Net cash flows used in investing activities	-36,017	-28,462
CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES:
New borrowings of bank debt	54,375	39,000
Repayment of bank debt	-89,375	-284,000
Issuance of senior notes		200,000
Dividend payments on preferred members' interest (Note 7)	-4,500	-4,500
Financing costs		-3,812
Other financing activities	-847	-900
Net cash flows used in financing activities	-40,347	-54,212
Net increase (decrease) in cash	1,350	-143
CASH, beginning of period	9,452	11,237
CASH, end of period	10,802	11,094
SUPPLEMENTAL DISCLOSURES OF CASH FLOW INFORMATION:
Cash paid during the period for interest, net of amounts capitalized	$14,664	$16,516

Organization

Organization	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Organization	1. ORGANIZATION
	Basis of Preparation of Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements
	Mediacom Broadband LLC (“Mediacom Broadband,” and collectively with its subsidiaries, “we,” “our” or “us”) is a Delaware limited liability company wholly-owned by Mediacom Communications Corporation (“MCC”). MCC is involved in the acquisition and operation of cable systems serving smaller cities and towns in the United States, and its cable systems are owned and operated through our operating subsidiaries and those of Mediacom LLC, a New York limited liability company wholly-owned by MCC. As limited liability companies, we and Mediacom LLC are not subject to income taxes and, as such, are included in the consolidated federal and state income tax returns of MCC, a C corporation.
	Our principal operating subsidiaries conduct all of our consolidated operations and own substantially all of our consolidated assets. Our operating subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have no obligation, contingent or otherwise, to make funds available to us.
	We have prepared these unaudited consolidated financial statements in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, such statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals and adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of our consolidated results of operations and financial position for the interim periods presented. The accounting policies followed during such interim periods reported are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America and are consistent with those applied during annual periods. For a summary of our accounting policies and other information, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that might be expected for future interim periods or for the full year ending December 31, 2015.
	Mediacom Broadband Corporation (“Broadband Corporation”), a Delaware corporation wholly-owned by us, co-issued, jointly and severally with us, public debt securities. Broadband Corporation has no operations, revenues or cash flows and has no assets, liabilities or stockholders’ equity on its balance sheet, other than a one-hundred dollar receivable from an affiliate and the same dollar amount of common stock. Therefore, separate financial statements have not been presented for this entity.
	Franchise fees imposed by local governmental authorities are collected on a monthly basis from our customers and are periodically remitted to the local governmental authorities. Because franchise fees are our obligation, we present them on a gross basis with a corresponding operating expense. Franchise fees reported on a gross basis amounted to approximately $5.9 million and $5.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Recent_Accounting_Pronouncemen

Recent Accounting Pronouncements	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Changes and Error Corrections [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	2. RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS
	In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU No. 2014-09 (“ASU 2014-09”) – Revenue from Contracts with Customers. The guidance states that an entity should recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods or services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the entity expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. An entity should also disclose sufficient information to enable users of financial statements to understand the nature, amount, timing, and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows arising from contracts with customers. This guidance supersedes most industry-specific guidance, including Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 51 – Financial Reporting by Cable Television Companies. ASU 2014-09 is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2016, including interim periods within that reporting period. Early application is not permitted. In April 2015, the FASB proposed a deferral of the effective date by one year (effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017). The FASB also proposed permitting early adoption of the updated accounting guidance, but not before the original effective date of December 15, 2016. We have not completed our evaluation of this new guidance to determine its impact on our financial statements, financial disclosures and our method of adoption.
	In April 2015, the FASB issued ASU No. 2015-03 - Interest—Imputation of Interest (Subtopic 835-30) Simplifying the Presentation of Debt Issuance Costs (“ASU 2015-03”). The purpose of this guidance is to simplify the presentation of debt issuance costs and requires that debt issuance costs related to a recognized debt liability be presented in the balance sheet as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of that debt liability, consistent with debt discounts. For public business entities, the amendments in this update are effective for financial statements issued for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2015, and interim periods within those fiscal years. An entity should apply the new guidance on a retrospective basis, wherein the balance sheet of each individual period presented should be adjusted to reflect the period-specific effects of applying the new guidance. We have not completed our evaluation of this new guidance to determine its impact on our financial statements, financial disclosures and our method of adoption.

Fair_Value

Fair Value	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value	3. FAIR VALUE
	The tables below set forth our financial assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis using a market-based approach at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. Our financial assets and liabilities, all of which represent interest rate exchange agreements (which we refer to as “interest rate swaps”) have been categorized according to the three-level fair value hierarchy established by Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) No. 820 — Fair Value Measurement, which prioritizes the inputs used in measuring fair value, as follows:
		•		Level 1 — Quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities.
		•		Level 2 — Observable market based inputs or unobservable inputs that are corroborated by market data.
		•		Level 3 — Unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data.
			Fair Value as of March 31, 2015
			Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Assets
	Interest rate exchange agreements		$	—	$	549	$	—	$	549
	Liabilities
	Interest rate exchange agreements		$	—	$	8,939	$	—	$	8,939
			Fair Value as of December 31, 2014
			Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Assets
	Interest rate exchange agreements		$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
	Liabilities
	Interest rate exchange agreements		$	—	$	11,049	$	—	$	11,049
	The fair value of our interest rate swaps represents the estimated amount that we would receive or pay to terminate such agreements, taking into account projected interest rates, based on quoted London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) futures and the remaining time to maturity. While our interest rate swaps are subject to contractual terms that provide for the net settlement of transactions with counterparties, we do not offset assets and liabilities under these agreements for financial statement presentation purposes, and assets and liabilities are reported on a gross basis.
	As of March 31, 2015, we recorded a current liability in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities of $8.9 million and a long-term asset in other assets, net, of $0.5 million. As of December 31, 2014, we recorded a current liability in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities of $11.0 million. As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, there was no long-term liability.
	As a result of the changes in the mark-to-market valuations on our interest rate swaps, we recorded net gains on derivatives of $2.7 million and $5.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Property_Plant_and_Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property, Plant and Equipment	4. PROPERTY, PLANT AND EQUIPMENT
	Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Cable systems, equipment and customer devices	$	2,171,125		$	2,143,668
	Furniture, fixtures and office equipment		42,298			42,278
	Vehicles		39,841			40,362
	Buildings and leasehold improvements		34,917			34,720
	Land and land improvements		7,998			7,998
	Property, plant and equipment, gross	$	2,296,179		$	2,269,026
	Accumulated depreciation		(1,521,969	)		(1,493,705	)
	Property, plant and equipment, net	$	774,210		$	775,321

Accounts_Payable_Accrued_Expen

Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities	5. ACCOUNTS PAYABLE, ACCRUED EXPENSES AND OTHER CURRENT LIABILITIES
	Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
			March 31,		December 31,
			2015		2014
	Accounts payable - trade		$	32,870	$	33,474
	Accrued programming costs			27,364		25,680
	Accrued taxes and fees			18,277		15,072
	Accrued payroll and benefits			15,252		14,514
	Accrued interest			14,950		7,451
	Advance customer payments			13,048		9,387
	Liabilities under interest rate exchange agreements			8,939		11,049
	Accrued service costs			7,098		7,922
	Bank overdrafts (1)			4,163		5,025
	Accrued property, plant and equipment			3,819		3,901
	Accrued telecommunications costs			1,032		754
	Other accrued expenses			9,041		10,366
	Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities		$	155,853	$	144,595
	-1	Bank overdrafts represent outstanding checks in excess of funds on deposit at our disbursement accounts. We transfer funds from our depository accounts to our disbursement accounts upon daily notification of checks presented for payment. Changes in bank overdrafts are reported in “other financing activities” in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Debt

Debt	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Debt	6. DEBT
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our debt consisted of (dollars in thousands):
			March 31,		December 31,
			2015		2014
	Bank credit facility		$	1,422,000	$	1,457,000
	5 1⁄2% senior notes due 2021			200,000		200,000
	6 3⁄8% senior notes due 2023			300,000		300,000
	Total debt		$	1,922,000	$	1,957,000
	Less: current portion			13,500		13,500
	Total long-term debt		$	1,908,500	$	1,943,500
	Bank Credit Facility
	As of March 31, 2015, we maintained a $1.586 billion bank credit facility (the “credit facility”), comprising:
		•		$256.0 million of revolving credit commitments, which expire on October 10, 2019;
		•		$195.0 million of outstanding borrowings under Term Loan G, which matures on January 20, 2020;
		•		$589.5 million of outstanding borrowings under Term Loan H, which matures on January 29, 2021;
		•		$248.1 million of outstanding borrowings under Term Loan I, which matures on June 30, 2017; and
		•		$297.8 million of outstanding borrowings under Term Loan J, which matures on June 30, 2021.
	As of March 31, 2015, we had $153.9 million of unused revolving credit commitments, all of which were available to be borrowed and used for general corporate purposes, after giving effect to $91.6 million of outstanding loans and $10.5 million of letters of credit issued thereunder to various parties as collateral.
	The credit facility is collateralized by our ownership interests in our operating subsidiaries and is guaranteed by us on a limited recourse basis to the extent of such ownership interests. As of March 31, 2015, the credit agreement governing the credit facility (the “credit agreement”) required our operating subsidiaries to maintain a total leverage ratio (as defined in the credit agreement) of no more than 5.0 to 1.0 and an interest coverage ratio (as defined in the credit agreement) of no less than 2.0 to 1.0. For all periods through March 31, 2015, our operating subsidiaries were in compliance with all covenants under the credit agreement.
	Interest Rate Swaps
	We have entered into several interest rate swaps with various banks to fix the variable rate on a portion of our borrowings under the credit facility to reduce the potential volatility in our interest expense that may result from changes in market interest rates. Our interest rate swaps have not been designated as hedges for accounting purposes, and have been accounted for on a mark-to-market basis as of, and for the three months ended, March 31, 2015 and 2014.
	As of March 31, 2015, we had interest rate swaps which fixed the variable rate portion of $500 million of borrowings at 2.6%, all of which are scheduled to expire during December 2015. As of the same date, we also had forward starting interest rate swaps that will fix the variable rate portion of $200 million of borrowings at 1.5% for a three year period commencing December 2015.
	As of March 31, 2015, the weighted average interest rate on outstanding borrowings under the credit facility, including the effect of our interest rate swaps, was 4.1%.
	Senior Notes
	As of March 31, 2015, we had $500 million of outstanding senior notes, comprising $200 million of 5 1⁄2% senior notes due April 2021 and $300 million of 6 3⁄8% senior notes due April 2023. Our senior notes are unsecured obligations, and the indentures governing our senior notes (the “indentures”) limit the incurrence of additional indebtedness based upon a maximum debt to operating cash flow ratio (as defined in the indentures) of 8.5 to 1.0. For all periods through March 31, 2015, we were in compliance with all covenants under the indentures.
	Other Assets
	Other assets, net, primarily include financing costs and original issue discount incurred to raise debt, which are deferred and amortized as interest expense over the expected term of such financings. Original issue discount, as recorded in other assets, net, was $8.3 million and $8.7 million as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively.
	Debt Ratings
	MCC’s corporate credit ratings are Ba3 by Moody’s and BB- by Standard and Poor’s (“S&P”), both with stable outlooks. Our senior unsecured ratings are B2 by Moody’s and B by S&P, both with stable outlooks. There are no covenants, events of default, borrowing conditions or other terms in the credit agreement or indentures that are based on changes in our credit rating assigned by any rating agency.
	Fair Value
	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair values of our senior notes and outstanding debt under the credit facility (which were calculated based upon market prices of such issuances) were as follows (dollars in thousands):
			March 31,		December 31,
			2015		2014
	5 1⁄2% senior notes due 2021		$	203,000	$	202,000
	6 3⁄8% senior notes due 2023			316,500		309,000
	Total senior notes		$	519,500	$	511,000
	Bank credit facility		$	1,420,095	$	1,426,126

Preferred_Members_Interest

Preferred Members' Interest	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Preferred Members' Interest	7. PREFERRED MEMBERS’ INTEREST
	In July 2001, we received a $150 million preferred membership investment from Mediacom LLC, which has a 12% annual dividend, payable quarterly in cash. We paid $4.5 million in cash dividends on the preferred membership interest during each of the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

Members_Equity

Member's Equity	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Equity [Abstract]
Member's Equity	8. MEMBER’S EQUITY
	As a wholly-owned subsidiary of MCC, our business affairs, including our financing decisions, are directed by MCC. See Note 9.
	Capital contributions from parent and capital distributions to parent are reported on a gross basis in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Related_Party_Transactions

Related Party Transactions	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Related Party Transactions [Abstract]
Related Party Transactions	9. RELATED PARTY TRANSACTIONS
	MCC manages us pursuant to management agreements with our operating subsidiaries. Under such agreements, MCC has full and exclusive authority to manage our day to day operations and conduct our business. We remain responsible for all expenses and liabilities relating to the construction, development, operation, maintenance, repair and ownership of our systems.
	As compensation for the performance of its services, subject to certain restrictions, MCC is entitled to receive management fees in an amount not to exceed 4.0% of the annual gross operating revenues of our operating subsidiaries, and is also entitled to the reimbursement of all expenses necessarily incurred in its capacity as manager. MCC charged us management fees of $4.8 million and $4.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.
	Mediacom LLC is a preferred equity investor in us. See Note 7.

Commitments_and_Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	10. COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES
	Legal Proceedings
	We are involved in various legal actions arising in the ordinary course of business. In the opinion of management, the ultimate disposition of these matters will not have a material adverse effect on our consolidated financial position, results of operations, cash flows or business.

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets	11. GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
	In accordance with the FASB’s ASC No. 350 — Intangibles — Goodwill and Other, the amortization of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets is prohibited and requires such assets to be tested annually for impairment, or more frequently if impairment indicators arise. We have determined that our cable franchise rights and goodwill are indefinite-lived assets and therefore not amortizable.
	We last evaluated the qualitative factors surrounding our Mediacom Broadband reporting unit as of October 1, 2014 which, as of March 31, 2015, had negative equity carrying value, and did not believe that it was “more likely than not” that a goodwill impairment existed at that time. As such, we did not perform Step 2 of the goodwill impairment test.
	Because we believe there has not been a meaningful change in the long-term fundamentals of our business during the first three months of 2015, we determined that there has been no triggering event under ASC 350 and, as such, no interim impairment test was required as of March 31, 2015.
	During the three months ended March 31, 2015, we acquired various intellectual property rights for approximately $1.6 million, which are recorded in other assets, net.

Organization_Policies

Organization (Policies)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Basis of Preparation of Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements	Basis of Preparation of Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements
	Mediacom Broadband LLC (“Mediacom Broadband,” and collectively with its subsidiaries, “we,” “our” or “us”) is a Delaware limited liability company wholly-owned by Mediacom Communications Corporation (“MCC”). MCC is involved in the acquisition and operation of cable systems serving smaller cities and towns in the United States, and its cable systems are owned and operated through our operating subsidiaries and those of Mediacom LLC, a New York limited liability company wholly-owned by MCC. As limited liability companies, we and Mediacom LLC are not subject to income taxes and, as such, are included in the consolidated federal and state income tax returns of MCC, a C corporation.
	Our principal operating subsidiaries conduct all of our consolidated operations and own substantially all of our consolidated assets. Our operating subsidiaries are separate and distinct legal entities and have no obligation, contingent or otherwise, to make funds available to us.
	We have prepared these unaudited consolidated financial statements in accordance with the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of management, such statements include all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals and adjustments, necessary for a fair presentation of our consolidated results of operations and financial position for the interim periods presented. The accounting policies followed during such interim periods reported are in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America and are consistent with those applied during annual periods. For a summary of our accounting policies and other information, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. The results of operations for the interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results that might be expected for future interim periods or for the full year ending December 31, 2015.
	Mediacom Broadband Corporation (“Broadband Corporation”), a Delaware corporation wholly-owned by us, co-issued, jointly and severally with us, public debt securities. Broadband Corporation has no operations, revenues or cash flows and has no assets, liabilities or stockholders’ equity on its balance sheet, other than a one-hundred dollar receivable from an affiliate and the same dollar amount of common stock. Therefore, separate financial statements have not been presented for this entity.
	Franchise fees imposed by local governmental authorities are collected on a monthly basis from our customers and are periodically remitted to the local governmental authorities. Because franchise fees are our obligation, we present them on a gross basis with a corresponding operating expense. Franchise fees reported on a gross basis amounted to approximately $5.9 million and $5.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Fair_Value_Tables

Fair Value (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value of Interest Rate Swap Assets and Liabilities
		Fair Value as of March 31, 2015
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Assets
	Interest rate exchange agreements	$	—	$	549	$	—	$	549
	Liabilities
	Interest rate exchange agreements	$	—	$	8,939	$	—	$	8,939
		Fair Value as of December 31, 2014
		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
	Assets
	Interest rate exchange agreements	$	—	$	—	$	—	$	—
	Liabilities
	Interest rate exchange agreements	$	—	$	11,049	$	—	$	11,049

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_T

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Components of Property, Plant and Equipment	Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
		March 31,			December 31,
		2015			2014
	Cable systems, equipment and customer devices	$	2,171,125		$	2,143,668
	Furniture, fixtures and office equipment		42,298			42,278
	Vehicles		39,841			40,362
	Buildings and leasehold improvements		34,917			34,720
	Land and land improvements		7,998			7,998
	Property, plant and equipment, gross	$	2,296,179		$	2,269,026
	Accumulated depreciation		(1,521,969	)		(1,493,705	)
	Property, plant and equipment, net	$	774,210		$	775,321

Accounts_Payable_Accrued_Expen1

Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Summary of Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities	Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities consisted of the following (dollars in thousands):
			March 31,		December 31,
			2015		2014
	Accounts payable - trade		$	32,870	$	33,474
	Accrued programming costs			27,364		25,680
	Accrued taxes and fees			18,277		15,072
	Accrued payroll and benefits			15,252		14,514
	Accrued interest			14,950		7,451
	Advance customer payments			13,048		9,387
	Liabilities under interest rate exchange agreements			8,939		11,049
	Accrued service costs			7,098		7,922
	Bank overdrafts (1)			4,163		5,025
	Accrued property, plant and equipment			3,819		3,901
	Accrued telecommunications costs			1,032		754
	Other accrued expenses			9,041		10,366
	Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities		$	155,853	$	144,595
	-1	Bank overdrafts represent outstanding checks in excess of funds on deposit at our disbursement accounts. We transfer funds from our depository accounts to our disbursement accounts upon daily notification of checks presented for payment. Changes in bank overdrafts are reported in “other financing activities” in our Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.

Debt_Tables

Debt (Tables)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
Debt Disclosure [Abstract]
Summary of Debt	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, our debt consisted of (dollars in thousands):
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	Bank credit facility	$	1,422,000	$	1,457,000
	5 1⁄2% senior notes due 2021		200,000		200,000
	6 3⁄8% senior notes due 2023		300,000		300,000
	Total debt	$	1,922,000	$	1,957,000
	Less: current portion		13,500		13,500
	Total long-term debt	$	1,908,500	$	1,943,500
Fair Values of Senior Notes and Outstanding Debt under Credit Facility	As of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, the fair values of our senior notes and outstanding debt under the credit facility (which were calculated based upon market prices of such issuances) were as follows (dollars in thousands):
		March 31,		December 31,
		2015		2014
	5 1⁄2% senior notes due 2021	$	203,000	$	202,000
	6 3⁄8% senior notes due 2023		316,500		309,000
	Total senior notes	$	519,500	$	511,000
	Bank credit facility	$	1,420,095	$	1,426,126

Organization_Additional_Inform

Organization - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Amount due from affiliate by subsidiary	$100
Franchise fees	$5,900,000	$5,800,000

Fair_Value_Fair_Value_of_Inter

Fair Value - Fair Value of Interest Rate Swap Assets and Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Liabilities	$8,939	$11,049
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets	549
Liabilities	8,939	11,049
Level 2 [Member] | Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Assets	549
Liabilities	$8,939	$11,049

Fair_Value_Additional_Informat

Fair Value - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Dec. 31, 2014
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Current liability in accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$8,900,000		$11,000,000
Long-term asset in other assets, net	500,000
Accumulated long-term liability	0		0
Net gains on derivatives	$2,700,000	$5,600,000

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_C

Property, Plant and Equipment - Components of Property, Plant and Equipment (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$2,296,179	$2,269,026
Accumulated depreciation	-1,521,969	-1,493,705
Property, plant and equipment, net	774,210	775,321
Cable Systems, Equipment and Customer Devices [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	2,171,125	2,143,668
Furniture, Fixtures and Office Equipment [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	42,298	42,278
Vehicles [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	39,841	40,362
Buildings and Leasehold Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	34,917	34,720
Land and Land Improvements [Member]
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property, plant and equipment, gross	$7,998	$7,998

Accounts_Payable_Accrued_Expen2

Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities - Summary of Accounts Payable, Accrued Expenses and Other Current Liabilities (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accounts payable - trade	$32,870	$33,474
Accrued programming costs	27,364	25,680
Accrued taxes and fees	18,277	15,072
Accrued payroll and benefits	15,252	14,514
Accrued interest	14,950	7,451
Advance customer payments	13,048	9,387
Liabilities under interest rate exchange agreements	8,939	11,049
Accrued service costs	7,098	7,922
Bank overdrafts	4,163	5,025
Accrued property, plant and equipment	3,819	3,901
Accrued telecommunications costs	1,032	754
Other accrued expenses	9,041	10,366
Accounts payable, accrued expenses and other current liabilities	$155,853	$144,595

Debt_Summary_of_Debt_Detail

Debt - Summary of Debt (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	$1,922,000	$1,957,000
Less: current portion	13,500	13,500
Total long-term debt	1,908,500	1,943,500
Total debt	1,922,000	1,957,000
5 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	200,000	200,000
Total debt	200,000	200,000
6 3/8% Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	300,000	300,000
Total debt	300,000	300,000
Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total debt	1,422,000	1,457,000
Total debt	$1,422,000	$1,457,000

Debt_Summary_of_Debt_Parenthet

Debt - Summary of Debt (Parenthetical) (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
5 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, Interest rate	5.50%
Debt instrument, Maturity	2021
6 3/8% Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, Interest rate	6.38%
Debt instrument, Maturity	2023

Debt_Additional_Information_De

Debt - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding senior notes	$500
Original issue discount, as recorded in other assets, net	8.3	8.7
Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	500
Interest rate on borrowings	2.60%
Weighted average interest rate on outstanding borrowings	4.10%
Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	1,586
Unused revolving credit commitments	153.9
5 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding senior notes	200
Senior notes expiration date	Apr-21
6 3/8% Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Outstanding senior notes	300
Senior notes expiration date	Apr-23
Loans Payable [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	91.6
Maximum [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Required debt to operating cash flow	850.00%
Maximum [Member] | Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Leverage ratio	500.00%
Interest coverage ratio	200.00%
Minimum [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Required debt to operating cash flow	100.00%
Minimum [Member] | Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Leverage ratio	100.00%
Interest coverage ratio	100.00%
Forward Interest Rate Swaps [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	200
Interest rate on borrowings	1.50%
Revolving Credit Commitments at Present [Member] | Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitments	256
Expiration date of revolving credit commitments	10-Oct-19
Term Loan G [Member] | Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	195
Expiration date of revolving credit commitments	20-Jan-20
Term Loan H [Member] | Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	589.5
Expiration date of revolving credit commitments	29-Jan-21
Term Loan I [Member] | Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	248.1
Expiration date of revolving credit commitments	30-Jun-17
Term Loan J [Member] | Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	297.8
Expiration date of revolving credit commitments	30-Jun-21
Letter of Credit [Member]
Line of Credit Facility [Line Items]
Revolving credit commitment outstanding	$10.50

Debt_Fair_Values_of_Senior_Not

Debt - Fair Values of Senior Notes and Outstanding Debt under Credit Facility (Detail) (USD $)	Mar. 31, 2015	Dec. 31, 2014
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior notes	$519,500	$511,000
Bank Credit Facility [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior notes	1,420,095	1,426,126
5 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior notes	203,000	202,000
6 3/8% Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Total senior notes	$316,500	$309,000

Debt_Fair_Values_of_Senior_Not1

Debt - Fair Values of Senior Notes and Outstanding Debt under Credit Facility (Parenthetical) (Detail)	3 Months Ended
	Mar. 31, 2015
5 1/2% Senior Notes Due 2021 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, Interest rate	5.50%
Debt instrument, Maturity	2021
6 3/8% Senior Notes Due 2023 [Member]
Debt Instrument [Line Items]
Debt instrument, Interest rate	6.38%
Debt instrument, Maturity	2023

Preferred_Members_Interest_Add

Preferred Members' Interest - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Millions, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014	Jul. 31, 2001
Equity Method Investments and Joint Ventures [Abstract]
Preferred equity investment			$150
Percentage of annual cash dividend on preferred equity investment	12.00%
Cash dividends on preferred membership interest	$4.50	$4.50

Related_Party_Transactions_Add

Related Party Transactions - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015	Mar. 31, 2014
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Management fees charged by MCC	$4,750	$4,300
Management Fees [Member] | MCC [Member] | Maximum [Member] | Operating Revenues [Member]
Related Party Transaction [Line Items]
Rate of annual gross operating revenues of our operating subsidiaries	4.00%

Goodwill_and_Other_Intangible_1

Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets - Additional Information (Detail) (USD $)	3 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Mar. 31, 2015
Goodwill and Intangible Assets Disclosure [Abstract]
Acquisition of other intangible assets	$1,559