Shenandoah Telecommunications (SHEN) 10-Q 1 Nov 13 2013 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document_and_Entity_Informatio

Document and Entity Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Oct. 24, 2013
Document and Entity Information [Abstract]	'	'
Entity Registrant Name	'SHENANDOAH TELECOMMUNICATIONS CO/VA/	'
Entity Central Index Key	'0000354963	'
Current Fiscal Year End Date	'--12-31	'
Entity Well-known Seasoned Issuer	'No	'
Entity Voluntary Filers	'No	'
Entity Current Reporting Status	'Yes	'
Entity Filer Category	'Accelerated Filer	'
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding	'	24,016,499
Document Fiscal Year Focus	'2013	'
Document Fiscal Period Focus	'Q3	'
Document Type	'10-Q	'
Amendment Flag	'false	'
Document Period End Date	30-Sep-13	'

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current Assets	'	'
Cash and cash equivalents	$61,955	$71,086
Accounts receivable, net	24,255	25,274
Income taxes receivable	10,329	4,705
Materials and supplies	8,807	9,789
Prepaid expenses and other	5,602	4,749
Deferred income taxes	1,022	832
Total current assets	111,970	116,435
Investments, including $2,325 and $2,064 carried at fair value	8,976	8,214
Property, plant and equipment, net	395,456	365,474
Other Assets	'	'
Intangible assets, net	71,673	74,942
Deferred charges and other assets, net	9,424	5,675
Net other assets	81,097	80,617
Total assets	597,499	570,740
Current Liabilities	'	'
Current maturities of long-term debt	0	1,977
Accounts payable	23,631	31,729
Advanced billings and customer deposits	11,161	11,190
Accrued compensation	3,852	2,671
Accrued liabilities and other	9,823	10,573
Total current liabilities	48,467	58,140
Long-term debt, less current maturities	230,200	230,200
Other Long-Term Liabilities	'	'
Deferred income taxes	64,954	57,896
Deferred lease payable	5,884	4,903
Asset retirement obligations	6,214	5,896
Other liabilities	6,893	5,857
Total other liabilities	83,945	74,552
Commitments and Contingencies	'	'
Shareholders' Equity	'	'
Common stock	25,908	24,688
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	2,046	-863
Retained earnings	206,933	184,023
Total shareholders' equity	234,887	207,848
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$597,499	$570,740

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT1

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Current Assets	'	'
Investments at fair value	$2,325	$2,064

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT2

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, except Share data, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME [Abstract]	'	'	'	'
Operating revenues	$77,513	$72,876	$230,976	$213,077
Operating expenses:	'	'	'	'
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	31,778	32,995	93,006	92,067
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	17,481	17,680	49,966	47,788
Depreciation and amortization	14,992	16,794	45,034	47,860
Total operating expenses	64,251	67,469	188,006	187,715
Operating income	13,262	5,407	42,970	25,362
Other income (expense):	'	'	'	'
Interest expense	-2,050	-2,323	-6,270	-5,641
Gain (loss) on investments, net	348	212	526	815
Non-operating income, net	377	169	1,356	616
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	11,937	3,465	38,582	21,152
Income tax expense	5,220	2,050	15,672	9,608
Net income from continuing operations	6,717	1,415	22,910	11,544
Losses from discontinued operations, net of tax benefit of $0, $29, $0 and $97, respectively	0	-54	0	-157
Net income	6,717	1,361	22,910	11,387
Other comprehensive income:	'	'	'	'
Unrealized (loss) gain on interest rate hedge, net of tax	-398	-1,136	2,909	-1,136
Comprehensive income	$6,319	$225	$25,819	$10,251
Basic and diluted net income (loss) per share:	'	'	'	'
Net income from continuing operations (in dollars per share)	$0.28	$0.06	$0.95	$0.48
Losses from discontinued operations (in dollars per share)	$0	$0	$0	($0.01)
Net income (in dollars per share)	$0.28	$0.06	$0.95	$0.47
Weighted average shares outstanding, basic (in shares)	24,010	23,875	23,993	23,858
Weighted average shares, diluted (in shares)	24,125	23,956	24,078	23,905

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT3

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (Parenthetical) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Discontinued operations:	'	'	'	'
Earnings (loss) from discontinued operations, tax benefits	$0	$29	$0	$97

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT4

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (USD $)	Common Stock [Member]	Retained Earnings [Member]	Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) [Member]	Total
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Balance at Dec. 31, 2011	$22,043	$175,616	$0	$197,659
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2011	23,838	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Net income	0	16,303	0	16,303
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0	0	-863	-863
Dividends declared	0	-7,896	0	-7,896
Dividends reinvested in common stock	493	0	0	493
Dividends reinvested in common stock (in shares)	37	'	'	'
Stock based compensation	1,842	0	0	1,842
Stock options exercised	404	0	0	404
Stock options exercised (in shares)	55	'	'	'
Common stock issued for share awards	0	0	0	0
Common stock issued for share awards (in shares)	45	'	'	'
Common stock issued	10	0	0	10
Common stock issued (in shares)	1	'	'	'
Common stock repurchased	-143	0	0	-143
Common stock repurchased (in shares)	-13	'	'	'
Net excess tax benefit from stock options exercised	39	0	0	39
Balance at Dec. 31, 2012	24,688	184,023	-863	207,848
Balance (in shares) at Dec. 31, 2012	23,963	'	'	'
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]	'	'	'	'
Net income	0	22,910	0	22,910
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax	0	0	2,909	2,909
Stock based compensation	1,540	0	0	1,540
Stock options exercised	939	0	0	939
Stock options exercised (in shares)	52	'	'	'
Common stock issued for share awards	0	0	0	0
Common stock issued for share awards (in shares)	68	'	'	'
Common stock issued	8	0	0	8
Common stock issued (in shares)	0	'	'	'
Common stock repurchased	-1,297	0	0	-1,297
Common stock repurchased (in shares)	-66	'	'	'
Net excess tax benefit from stock options exercised	30	0	0	30
Balance at Sep. 30, 2013	$25,908	$206,933	$2,046	$234,887
Balance (in shares) at Sep. 30, 2013	24,017	'	'	'

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT5

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (Parenthetical) (USD $)	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY [Abstract]	'
Dividends declared per share (in dollars per share)	$0.33

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT6

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Cash Flows from Operating Activities	'	'
Net income	$22,910	$11,387
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:	'	'
Depreciation	41,749	42,692
Amortization	3,285	5,168
Provision for bad debt	1,504	2,135
Stock based compensation expense	1,540	1,425
Excess tax benefits on stock awards	-69	-106
Deferred income taxes	4,950	-4,473
Net loss on disposal of equipment	234	64
Realized (gain) loss on disposal of investments	1	-35
Unrealized (gains) on investments	-233	-250
Net (gain) loss from patronage and equity investments	-627	-764
Write-off unamortized loan fees	0	780
Other	1,976	1,215
(Increase) decrease in:	'	'
Accounts receivable	-510	-5,298
Materials and supplies	982	220
Income taxes receivable	-5,609	12,495
Increase (decrease) in:	'	'
Accounts payable	885	-1,671
Deferred lease payable	981	446
Income taxes payable	0	12,984
Other prepaids, deferrals and accruals	-431	-959
Net cash provided by operating activities	73,518	77,455
Cash Flows from Investing Activities	'	'
Purchase and construction of property, plant and equipment	-80,784	-53,611
Proceeds from sales of assets	271	161
Cash received from sales of Converged Services' properties	25	3,265
Purchase of investment securities	-13	0
Proceeds from sale of investment securities	110	1,203
Net cash used in investing activities	-80,391	-48,982
Cash Flows from Financing Activities	'	'
Principal payments on long-term debt	-1,977	-177,655
Amount borrowed under debt agreements	0	230,000
Cash paid for debt issuance costs	0	-2,418
Excess tax benefits on stock awards	69	106
Repurchases of stock	-1,297	-144
Proceeds from stock issuances	947	411
Net cash (used in) / provided by financing activities	-2,258	50,300
Net (decrease) increase in cash and cash equivalents	-9,131	78,773
Cash and cash equivalents:	'	'
Beginning	71,086	15,874
Ending	61,955	94,647
Cash paid (received) for:	'	'
Interest	6,476	4,738
Income taxes	$16,330	($11,491)

UNAUDITED_CONDENSED_CONSOLIDAT7

UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Parenthetical) (USD $)	9 Months Ended	12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
Other cash flow information:	'	'
Exchange of equipment for new equipment purchase	$14,242,000	'
Capital expenditures	$16,000,000	$25,000,000

Basis_of_Presentation

Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]	'
Basis of Presentation	'
	1.  Basis of Presentation
	The interim condensed consolidated financial statements of Shenandoah Telecommunications Company and Subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”) are unaudited.  In the opinion of management, all adjustments necessary for a fair presentation of the interim results have been reflected therein.  All such adjustments were of a normal and recurring nature.  These statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.  The balance sheet information at December 31, 2012 was derived from the audited December 31, 2012 consolidated balance sheet.  Operating revenues and income from operations for any interim period are not necessarily indicative of results that may be expected for the entire year.

Discontinued_Operations

Discontinued Operations	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Discontinued Operations [Abstract]	'
Discontinued Operations	'
	2.  Discontinued Operations
	In September 2008, the Company announced its intention to sell its Converged Services operation, the related assets and liabilities were reclassified as held for sale in the consolidated balance sheet and the historical operating results were reclassified as discontinued operations, and depreciation and amortization on long-lived assets was discontinued.
	As of June 30, 2013, all properties had been disposed of.  Revenues and losses before taxes associated with discontinued operations were $96 thousand and $83 thousand, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2012, and $1,061 thousand and $254 thousand, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2012.  Comparable amounts for 2013 were not significant.

Property_Plant_and_Equipment

Property, Plant and Equipment	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	3.  Property, Plant and Equipment
	Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Plant in service	$	619,302	$	586,216
	Plant under construction		21,535		25,469
			640,837		611,685
	Less accumulated amortization and depreciation		245,381		246,211
	Net property, plant and equipment	$	395,456	$	365,474
	During the first quarter of 2012, the Company entered into agreements with Sprint and Alcatel-Lucent to begin updating the Company’s Wireless network.  The update uses base station equipment acquired from Alcatel-Lucent in conjunction with Sprint’s wireless network upgrade plan known as Network Vision.  Beginning in the second quarter of 2012, the Company began replacing cell site equipment at a number of its cell sites.  As of September 30, 2013, 500 of its 525 sites had been upgraded. The remaining 25 sites will be upgraded when outstanding leasing and zoning issues are resolved. The Company accelerated depreciation on these assets so that net book value at time of trade-in would equal the value to be realized upon trade-in.  During 2012, the Company recognized approximately $8.4 million of accelerated depreciation expense for Network Vision related activities, including $7.1 million in the first nine months of 2012; the first nine months of 2013 included $3.1 million of accelerated depreciation expense.

Earnings_per_share

Earnings per share	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Earnings per share [Abstract]	'
Earnings per share	'
	4.  Earnings per share
	Basic net income (loss) per share was computed on the weighted average number of shares outstanding.  Diluted net income (loss) per share was computed under the treasury stock method, assuming the conversion as of the beginning of the period, for all dilutive stock options.  Of 764 thousand and 668 thousand shares and options outstanding at September 30, 2013 and 2012, respectively, 293 thousand and 346 thousand were anti-dilutive, respectively.  These options have been excluded from the computations of diluted earnings per share for their respective period.  There were no adjustments to net income for either period.

Investments_Carried_at_Fair_Va

Investments Carried at Fair Value	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Investments Carried at Fair Value [Abstract]	'
Investments Carried at Fair Value	'
	5.  Investments Carried at Fair Value
	Investments include $2.3 million and $2.1 million of investments carried at fair value as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, consisting of equity, bond and money market mutual funds.  These investments were acquired under a rabbi trust arrangement related to a non-qualified supplemental retirement plan maintained by the Company.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2013, the Company recognized $1 thousand in net losses on dispositions of investments, recognized $28 thousand in dividend and interest income from investments, and recorded net unrealized gains of $233 thousand on these investments.  Fair values for these investments held under the rabbi trust were determined by level 1 quoted market prices for the underlying mutual funds.

Financial_Instruments

Financial Instruments	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Financial Instruments [Abstract]	'
Financial Instruments	'
	6.  Financial Instruments
	Financial instruments on the consolidated balance sheets that approximate fair value include:  cash and cash equivalents, receivables, investments carried at fair value, payables, accrued liabilities, interest rate swaps and variable rate long-term debt.

Derivative_Instruments_Hedging

Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'
Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income	'
	7.  Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income
	The Company’s objectives in using interest rate derivatives are to add stability to cash flows and to manage its exposure to interest rate movements. To accomplish this objective, the Company primarily uses interest rate swaps as part of its interest rate risk management strategy. Interest rate swaps (both those designated as cash flow hedges as well as those not designated as cash flow hedges) involve the receipt of variable-rate amounts from a counterparty in exchange for the Company making fixed-rate payments over the life of the agreements without exchange of the underlying notional amount.
	The Company entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap of $63.3 million of notional principal in August 2010.  This interest rate swap was not designated as a cash flow hedge.  Changes in the fair value of interest rate swaps not designated as cash flow hedges are recorded in interest expense each reporting period.  Changes in fair value recorded in interest expense for the three months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012 were decreases of $33 thousand and $55 thousand, respectively; for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012, the changes were decreases of $239 thousand and $106 thousand, respectively. This swap expired in July 2013.
	The Company entered into a pay-fixed, receive-variable interest rate swap of $174.6 million of notional principal in September 2012.  This interest rate swap was designated as a cash flow hedge.  The total outstanding notional amount of cash flow hedges was $174.6 million as of September 30, 2013.
	The effective portion of changes in the fair value of interest rate swaps designated and that qualify as cash flow hedges is recorded in accumulated other comprehensive income and is subsequently reclassified into earnings in the period that the hedged forecasted transaction affects earnings. The Company uses its derivatives to hedge the variable cash flows associated with existing variable-rate debt. The ineffective portion of the change in fair value of the derivative is recognized directly in earnings through interest expense. No hedge ineffectiveness was recognized during any of the periods presented.
	Amounts reported in accumulated other comprehensive income related to the interest rate swap designated and that qualifies as a cash flow hedge are reclassified to interest expense as interest payments are made on the Company’s variable-rate debt. As of September 30, 2013, the Company estimates that $1.6 million will be reclassified as an increase to interest expense during the next twelve months due to the interest rate swap since the fixed interest rate paid on the hedge exceeds the variable interest rate on the debt.
	The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as well as its classification on the consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 (in thousands; amounts in parentheses indicate debits):
		Derivatives
				Fair Value as of
		Balance Sheet		September 30,				December 31,
		Location		2013				2012
	Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
	Interest rate swaps	Accrued liabilities and other		$	-			$	239
				$	-			$	239
	Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
	Interest rate swaps	Accrued liabilities and other		$	1,598			$	1,613
		Deferred charges, and other assets net			(5,019	)			(177	)
	Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments			$	(3,421	)		$	1,436
	The fair value of interest rate swaps is determined using a pricing model with inputs that are observable in the market (level 2 fair value inputs).
	The table below presents change in accumulated other comprehensive income by component for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 (in thousands; amounts in parentheses indicate debits):
			Gains and (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges				Income				Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
							Taxes
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	(1,436	)		$	573			$	(863	)
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications			3,623				(1,452	)			2,171
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (to interest expense)			1,234				(496	)			738
	Net current period other comprehensive income			4,857				(1,948	)			2,909
	Balance as of September 30, 2013		$	3,421			$	(1,375	)		$	2,046

Segment_Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Information [Abstract]	'
Segment Information	'
	8.  Segment Information
	Operating segments are defined as components of an enterprise about which separate financial information is available that is evaluated regularly by the chief operating decision makers.  The Company has three reportable segments, which the Company operates and manages as strategic business units organized by lines of business: (1) Wireless, (2) Cable, and (3) Wireline.   A fourth segment, Other, primarily includes Shenandoah Telecommunications Company, the parent holding company.
	The Wireless segment provides digital wireless service to a portion of a four-state area covering the region from Harrisburg, York and Altoona, Pennsylvania, to Harrisonburg, Virginia, as a Sprint PCS Affiliate.  This segment also owns cell site towers built on leased land, and leases space on these towers to both affiliates and non-affiliated service providers.
	The Cable segment provides video, internet and voice services in Virginia, West Virginia and Maryland.
	The Wireline segment provides regulated and unregulated voice services, DSL internet access, and long distance access services throughout Shenandoah County and portions of northwestern Rockingham County and Augusta County, Virginia, and leases fiber optic facilities throughout the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, northern Virginia and adjacent areas along the Interstate 81 corridor, including portions of West Virginia and Maryland.
	Selected financial data for each segment is as follows:
	Three months ended September 30, 2013
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	45,938			$	17,630		$	3,860	$	-		$	-		$	67,428
	Other		2,550				2,874			4,661		-			-			10,085
	Total external revenues		48,488				20,504			8,521		-			-			77,513
	Internal revenues		1,090				19			5,127		-			(6,236	)		-
	Total operating revenues		49,578				20,523			13,648		-			(6,236	)		77,513
	Operating expenses
	Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		17,969				13,333			6,099		-			(5,623	)		31,778
	Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		9,317				6,188			1,777		812			(613	)		17,481
	Depreciation and amortization		6,799				5,682			2,502		9			-			14,992
	Total operating expenses		34,085				25,203			10,378		821			(6,236	)		64,251
	Operating income (loss)	$	15,493			$	(4,680	)	$	3,270	$	(821	)	$	-		$	13,262
	Three months ended September 30, 2012
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	41,517			$	16,509		$	3,741	$	-		$	-		$	61,767
	Other		3,307				2,413			5,389		-			-			11,109
	Total external revenues		44,824				18,922			9,130		-			-			72,876
	Internal revenues		837				79			4,597		-			(5,513	)		-
	Total operating revenues		45,661				19,001			13,727		-			(5,513	)		72,876
	Operating expenses
	Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		19,121				12,521			6,302		2			(4,951	)		32,995
	Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		9,651				6,199			1,752		640			(562	)		17,680
	Depreciation and amortization		8,643				5,908			2,233		10			-			16,794
	Total operating expenses		37,415				24,628			10,287		652			(5,513	)		67,469
	Operating income (loss)	$	8,246			$	(5,627	)	$	3,440	$	(652	)	$	-		$	5,407
	Nine months ended September 30, 2013
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	136,365			$	52,575		$	11,680	$	-		$	-		$	200,620
	Other		7,897				7,875			14,584		-			-			30,356
	Total external revenues		144,262				60,450			26,264		-			-			230,976
	Internal revenues		3,238				121			14,935		-			(18,294	)		-
	Total operating revenues		147,500				60,571			41,199		-			(18,294	)		230,976
	Operating expenses
	Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		53,354				37,974			18,282		-			(16,604	)		93,006
	Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		27,152				17,192			5,147		2,165			(1,690	)		49,966
	Depreciation and amortization		20,608				17,094			7,308		24			-			45,034
	Total operating expenses		101,114				72,260			30,737		2,189			(18,294	)		188,006
	Operating income (loss)	$	46,386			$	(11,689	)	$	10,462	$	(2,189	)	$	-		$	42,970
	Nine months ended September 30, 2012
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	120,107			$	48,918		$	11,272	$	-		$	-		$	180,297
	Other		9,991				7,446			15,343		-			-			32,780
	Total external revenues		130,098				56,364			26,615		-			-			213,077
	Internal revenues		2,495				233			13,803		-			(16,531	)		-
Total operating revenues		132,593				56,597			40,418		-			(16,531	)		213,077
Operating expenses
Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		52,432				36,381			18,048		25			(14,819	)		92,067
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		25,746				16,427			5,107		2,220			(1,712	)		47,788
Depreciation and amortization		23,153				17,963			6,691		53			-			47,860
Total operating expenses		101,331				70,771			29,846		2,298			(16,531	)		187,715
Operating income (loss)	$	31,262			$	(14,174	)	$	10,572	$	(2,298	)	$	-		$	25,362
A reconciliation of the total of the reportable segments’ operating income to consolidated income from continuing operations before income taxes is as follows:
	Three Months Ended
	September 30,
	2013				2012
Total consolidated operating income	$	13,262			$	5,407
Interest expense		(2,050	)			(2,323	)
Non-operating income (expense), net		725				381
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	$	11,937			$	3,465
	Nine Months Ended
	September 30,
	2013				2012
Total consolidated operating income	$	42,970			$	25,362
Interest expense		(6,270	)			(5,641	)
Non-operating income (expense), net		1,882				1,431
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	$	38,582			$	21,152
The Company's assets by segment are as follows:
(in thousands)
	September 30,			December 31,
	2013			2012
Wireless	$	204,527			$	179,929
Cable		207,405				202,436
Wireline		90,892				88,776
Other		465,130				458,650
Combined totals		967,954				929,791
Inter-segment eliminations		(370,455	)			(359,051	)
Consolidated totals	$	597,499			$	570,740

Income_Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Income Taxes [Abstract]	'
Income Taxes	'
	9.  Income Taxes
	The Company files U.S. federal income tax returns and various state and local income tax returns.  With few exceptions, years prior to 2010 are no longer subject to examination. The Company is under audit in the state of Maryland for the 2009, 2010 and 2011 tax years, and in the state of Pennsylvania for the 2009 tax year.  No other state or federal income tax audits were in process as of September 30, 2013.

LongTerm_Debt

Long-Term Debt	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Long-Term Debt [Abstract]	'
Long-Term Debt	'
	10.  Long-Term Debt
	As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company’s outstanding long-term debt consisted of the following:
	(In thousands)
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	CoBank (fixed term loan)	$	-	$	1,876
	Term Loan A		230,000		230,000
	Other debt		200		301
			230,200		232,177
	Current maturities		-		1,977
	Total long-term debt	$	230,200	$	230,200
	As of September 30, 2013, the Company was in compliance with the covenants in its Credit Agreement.

Billing_Dispute

Billing Dispute	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Billing Dispute [Abstract]	'
Billing Dispute	'
	11.  Billing Dispute
	In early 2012, the Company received notification from an interexchange carrier disputing charges of approximately $3.0 million included in the Company’s intrastate tariffed billings that have been in place since 1998.  While the Company believes that its billings were correct and appropriate, it is currently in discussions with the carrier regarding a settlement of the dispute.

Subsequent_Event_Dividend_Decl

Subsequent Event - Dividend Declaration	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Subsequent Event - Dividend Declaration	'
Subsequent Event - Dividend Declaration	'
	12.  Subsequent Event – Dividend Declaration
	On October 22, 2013, the Company announced that the Board of Directors had declared a cash dividend of $0.36 per share, an increase of $0.03 per share or 9% over the 2012 dividend.  The dividend will be payable December 2, 2013, to shareholders of record on November 6, 2013.  The total payout to shareholders will be approximately $8.7 million.

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_T

Property, Plant and Equipment (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]	'
Property, Plant and Equipment	'
	Property, plant and equipment consisted of the following (in thousands):
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	Plant in service	$	619,302	$	586,216
	Plant under construction		21,535		25,469
			640,837		611,685
	Less accumulated amortization and depreciation		245,381		246,211
	Net property, plant and equipment	$	395,456	$	365,474

Derivative_Instruments_Hedging1

Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]	'
Schedule of derivative financial instruments as well as its classification on the consolidated balance sheet	'
	The table below presents the fair value of the Company’s derivative financial instruments as well as its classification on the consolidated balance sheet as of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012 (in thousands; amounts in parentheses indicate debits):
		Derivatives
				Fair Value as of
		Balance Sheet		September 30,				December 31,
		Location		2013				2012
	Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
	Interest rate swaps	Accrued liabilities and other		$	-			$	239
				$	-			$	239
	Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
	Interest rate swaps	Accrued liabilities and other		$	1,598			$	1,613
		Deferred charges, and other assets net			(5,019	)			(177	)
	Total derivatives designated as hedging instruments			$	(3,421	)		$	1,436
Schedule of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)	'
	The table below presents change in accumulated other comprehensive income by component for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 (in thousands; amounts in parentheses indicate debits):
			Gains and (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges				Income				Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss)
							Taxes
	Balance as of December 31, 2012		$	(1,436	)		$	573			$	(863	)
	Other comprehensive income before reclassifications			3,623				(1,452	)			2,171
	Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (to interest expense)			1,234				(496	)			738
	Net current period other comprehensive income			4,857				(1,948	)			2,909
	Balance as of September 30, 2013		$	3,421			$	(1,375	)		$	2,046

Segment_Information_Tables

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Segment Information [Abstract]	'
Selected Financial Data for Segments	'
	Selected financial data for each segment is as follows:
	Three months ended September 30, 2013
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	45,938			$	17,630		$	3,860	$	-		$	-		$	67,428
	Other		2,550				2,874			4,661		-			-			10,085
	Total external revenues		48,488				20,504			8,521		-			-			77,513
	Internal revenues		1,090				19			5,127		-			(6,236	)		-
	Total operating revenues		49,578				20,523			13,648		-			(6,236	)		77,513
	Operating expenses
	Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		17,969				13,333			6,099		-			(5,623	)		31,778
	Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		9,317				6,188			1,777		812			(613	)		17,481
	Depreciation and amortization		6,799				5,682			2,502		9			-			14,992
	Total operating expenses		34,085				25,203			10,378		821			(6,236	)		64,251
	Operating income (loss)	$	15,493			$	(4,680	)	$	3,270	$	(821	)	$	-		$	13,262
	Three months ended September 30, 2012
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	41,517			$	16,509		$	3,741	$	-		$	-		$	61,767
	Other		3,307				2,413			5,389		-			-			11,109
	Total external revenues		44,824				18,922			9,130		-			-			72,876
	Internal revenues		837				79			4,597		-			(5,513	)		-
	Total operating revenues		45,661				19,001			13,727		-			(5,513	)		72,876
	Operating expenses
	Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		19,121				12,521			6,302		2			(4,951	)		32,995
	Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		9,651				6,199			1,752		640			(562	)		17,680
	Depreciation and amortization		8,643				5,908			2,233		10			-			16,794
	Total operating expenses		37,415				24,628			10,287		652			(5,513	)		67,469
	Operating income (loss)	$	8,246			$	(5,627	)	$	3,440	$	(652	)	$	-		$	5,407
	Nine months ended September 30, 2013
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	136,365			$	52,575		$	11,680	$	-		$	-		$	200,620
	Other		7,897				7,875			14,584		-			-			30,356
	Total external revenues		144,262				60,450			26,264		-			-			230,976
	Internal revenues		3,238				121			14,935		-			(18,294	)		-
	Total operating revenues		147,500				60,571			41,199		-			(18,294	)		230,976
	Operating expenses
	Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		53,354				37,974			18,282		-			(16,604	)		93,006
	Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		27,152				17,192			5,147		2,165			(1,690	)		49,966
	Depreciation and amortization		20,608				17,094			7,308		24			-			45,034
	Total operating expenses		101,114				72,260			30,737		2,189			(18,294	)		188,006
	Operating income (loss)	$	46,386			$	(11,689	)	$	10,462	$	(2,189	)	$	-		$	42,970
	Nine months ended September 30, 2012
	(in thousands)
		Wireless				Cable			Wireline		Other			Eliminations			Consolidated
																	Totals
	External revenues
	Service revenues	$	120,107			$	48,918		$	11,272	$	-		$	-		$	180,297
	Other		9,991				7,446			15,343		-			-			32,780
	Total external revenues		130,098				56,364			26,615		-			-			213,077
	Internal revenues		2,495				233			13,803		-			(16,531	)		-
	Total operating revenues		132,593				56,597			40,418		-			(16,531	)		213,077
	Operating expenses
	Costs of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		52,432				36,381			18,048		25			(14,819	)		92,067
	Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below		25,746				16,427			5,107		2,220			(1,712	)		47,788
	Depreciation and amortization		23,153				17,963			6,691		53			-			47,860
Total operating expenses		101,331				70,771			29,846		2,298			(16,531	)		187,715
Operating income (loss)	$	31,262			$	(14,174	)	$	10,572	$	(2,298	)	$	-		$	25,362
Reconciliation of Income from Continuing Operations from Segments to Consolidated	'
	A reconciliation of the total of the reportable segments’ operating income to consolidated income from continuing operations before income taxes is as follows:
		Three Months Ended
		September 30,
		2013				2012
	Total consolidated operating income	$	13,262			$	5,407
	Interest expense		(2,050	)			(2,323	)
	Non-operating income (expense), net		725				381
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes	$	11,937			$	3,465
		Nine Months Ended
		September 30,
		2013				2012
	Total consolidated operating income	$	42,970			$	25,362
	Interest expense		(6,270	)			(5,641	)
	Non-operating income (expense), net		1,882				1,431
	Income from continuing operations before income taxes	$	38,582			$	21,152
Assets by Segment	'
	The Company's assets by segment are as follows:
	(in thousands)
		September 30,			December 31,
		2013			2012
	Wireless	$	204,527			$	179,929
	Cable		207,405				202,436
	Wireline		90,892				88,776
	Other		465,130				458,650
	Combined totals		967,954				929,791
	Inter-segment eliminations		(370,455	)			(359,051	)
	Consolidated totals	$	597,499			$	570,740

LongTerm_Debt_Tables

Long-Term Debt (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013
Long-Term Debt [Abstract]	'
Long-term debt	'
	As of September 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company’s outstanding long-term debt consisted of the following:
	(In thousands)
		September 30,		December 31,
		2013		2012
	CoBank (fixed term loan)	$	-	$	1,876
	Term Loan A		230,000		230,000
	Other debt		200		301
			230,200		232,177
	Current maturities		-		1,977
	Total long-term debt	$	230,200	$	230,200

Discontinued_Operations_Detail

Discontinued Operations (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2012
Discontinued Operations [Abstract]	'	'
Revenue associated with discontinued operations	$96	$1,061
Pretax loss associated with discontinued operations	($83)	($254)

Property_Plant_and_Equipment_D

Property, Plant and Equipment (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
	Site
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment	$640,837,000	'	$611,685,000
Less accumulated amortization and depreciation	245,381,000	'	246,211,000
Property, plant and equipment, net	395,456,000	'	365,474,000
Number of sites	500	'	'
Total number of cell sites being upgraded	525	'	'
Accelerated depreciation expense	3,100,000	7,100,000	8,400,000
Plant in Service [Member]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment	619,302,000	'	586,216,000
Plant under Construction [Member]	'	'	'
Property, plant and equipment [Abstract]	'	'	'
Total property, plant and equipment	$21,535,000	'	$25,469,000

Earnings_per_share_Details

Earnings per share (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012
Earnings per share [Abstract]	'	'
Shares and options outstanding (in shares)	764,000	668,000
Options [Member]	'	'
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]	'	'
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of diluted earnings per share (in shares)	293	346

Investments_Carried_at_Fair_Va1

Investments Carried at Fair Value (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
Investments Carried at Fair Value [Abstract]	'	'	'
Investments at fair value	$2,325	'	$2,064
Net gains on dispositions of investments	1	'	'
Dividend and interest income from investments	28	'	'
Net unrealized gains recognized	$233	$250	'

Derivative_Instruments_Hedging2

Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Details) (USD $)

Sep. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Aug. 31, 2010

Sep. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Dec. 31, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Sep. 30, 2013

Sep. 30, 2012

Gains and (Losses) on Cash Flow Hedges [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Not Designated as Hedging Instrument [Member]

Interest Expense [Member]

Interest Expense [Member]

Interest Expense [Member]

Interest Expense [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Accrued liabilities and other [Member]

Accrued liabilities and other [Member]

Deferred charges, and other assets net [Member]

Deferred charges, and other assets net [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Accrued liabilities and other [Member]

Accrued liabilities and other [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Interest Rate Swap [Member]

Derivative Instruments, Hedging Activities and Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Notional amount of cash flow hedges

$174,600,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Derivative Instruments, Gain (Loss) [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Changes in fair value recorded in interest expense

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-33,000

-55,000

-239,000

-106,000

Amount reclassified as an increase to interest expense during next twelve months

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,600,000

'

Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Amount of notional principal interest rate swap

'

'

'

'

174,600,000

63,300,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Derivative, expiry date

'

'

'

31-Jul-13

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Derivatives Liabilities, Fair Value

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

1,598,000

1,613,000

'

'

'

'

0

239,000

'

'

'

'

Derivative Assets, Fair Value

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

-5,019,000

-177,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Derivative Assets (Liabilities), at Fair Value, Net

'

'

'

'

'

'

-3,421,000

1,436,000

'

'

'

'

0

239,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax

'

'

-1,436,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Other Comprehensive Income Loss Before Reclassifications Before Tax

'

'

3,623,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (to interest expense), before tax

'

'

1,234,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net current period other comprehensive income before tax

'

'

4,857,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), before Tax

'

'

3,421,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax

'

'

573,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications, tax

'

'

-1,452,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Amounts reclassified From accumulated other comprehensive income tax (to interest expense)

'

'

-496,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net current period other comprehensive income, tax

'

'

-1,948,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Tax

'

'

-1,375,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax [Abstract]

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Total

2,046,000

-863,000

-863,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Other comprehensive income before reclassifications, net of tax

'

'

2,171,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Amounts reclassified from accumulated other comprehensive income (to interest expense), net of tax

'

'

738,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Net current period other comprehensive income, net of tax

'

'

2,909,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), Net of Tax, Total

$2,046,000

($863,000)

$2,046,000

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

'

Segment_Information_Details

Segment Information (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
	Segment		State
	State
Segment Information [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Number of reportable segments	3	'	'	'	'
Non Sprint-Nextel operations, number of states	4	'	4	'	'
External revenues [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Service revenues	$67,428	$61,767	$200,620	$180,297	'
Other revenues	10,085	11,109	30,356	32,780	'
Total external revenues	77,513	72,876	230,976	213,077	'
Internal revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Total operating revenues	77,513	72,876	230,976	213,077	'
Operating expenses [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	31,778	32,995	93,006	92,067	'
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	17,481	17,680	49,966	47,788	'
Depreciation and amortization	14,992	16,794	45,034	47,860	'
Total operating expenses	64,251	67,469	188,006	187,715	'
Operating income (loss)	13,262	5,407	42,970	25,362	'
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Total consolidated operating income	13,262	5,407	42,970	25,362	'
Interest expense	-2,050	-2,323	-6,270	-5,641	'
Non-operating income (expense), net	725	381	1,882	1,431	'
Income from continuing operations before income taxes	11,937	3,465	38,582	21,152	'
Assets by segment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets	597,499	'	597,499	'	570,740
Wireless [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
External revenues [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Service revenues	45,938	41,517	136,365	120,107	'
Other revenues	2,550	3,307	7,897	9,991	'
Total external revenues	48,488	44,824	144,262	130,098	'
Internal revenues	1,090	837	3,238	2,495	'
Total operating revenues	49,578	45,661	147,500	132,593	'
Operating expenses [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	17,969	19,121	53,354	52,432	'
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	9,317	9,651	27,152	25,746	'
Depreciation and amortization	6,799	8,643	20,608	23,153	'
Total operating expenses	34,085	37,415	101,114	101,331	'
Operating income (loss)	15,493	8,246	46,386	31,262	'
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Total consolidated operating income	15,493	8,246	46,386	31,262	'
Assets by segment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets	204,527	'	204,527	'	179,929
Cable [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
External revenues [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Service revenues	17,630	16,509	52,575	48,918	'
Other revenues	2,874	2,413	7,875	7,446	'
Total external revenues	20,504	18,922	60,450	56,364	'
Internal revenues	19	79	121	233	'
Total operating revenues	20,523	19,001	60,571	56,597	'
Operating expenses [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	13,333	12,521	37,974	36,381	'
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	6,188	6,199	17,192	16,427	'
Depreciation and amortization	5,682	5,908	17,094	17,963	'
Total operating expenses	25,203	24,628	72,260	70,771	'
Operating income (loss)	-4,680	-5,627	-11,689	-14,174	'
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Total consolidated operating income	-4,680	-5,627	-11,689	-14,174	'
Assets by segment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets	207,405	'	207,405	'	202,436
Wireline [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
External revenues [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Service revenues	3,860	3,741	11,680	11,272	'
Other revenues	4,661	5,389	14,584	15,343	'
Total external revenues	8,521	9,130	26,264	26,615	'
Internal revenues	5,127	4,597	14,935	13,803	'
Total operating revenues	13,648	13,727	41,199	40,418	'
Operating expenses [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	6,099	6,302	18,282	18,048	'
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	1,777	1,752	5,147	5,107	'
Depreciation and amortization	2,502	2,233	7,308	6,691	'
Total operating expenses	10,378	10,287	30,737	29,846	'
Operating income (loss)	3,270	3,440	10,462	10,572	'
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Total consolidated operating income	3,270	3,440	10,462	10,572	'
Assets by segment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets	90,892	'	90,892	'	88,776
Other [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
External revenues [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Service revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Other revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Total external revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Internal revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Total operating revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Operating expenses [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	0	2	0	25	'
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	812	640	2,165	2,220	'
Depreciation and amortization	9	10	24	53	'
Total operating expenses	821	652	2,189	2,298	'
Operating income (loss)	-821	-652	-2,189	-2,298	'
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Total consolidated operating income	-821	-652	-2,189	-2,298	'
Assets by segment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets	465,130	'	465,130	'	458,650
Eliminations [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
External revenues [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Service revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Other revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Total external revenues	0	0	0	0	'
Internal revenues	-6,236	-5,513	-18,294	-16,531	'
Total operating revenues	-6,236	-5,513	-18,294	-16,531	'
Operating expenses [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Cost of goods and services, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	-5,623	-4,951	-16,604	-14,819	'
Selling, general and administrative, exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below	-613	-562	-1,690	-1,712	'
Depreciation and amortization	0	0	0	0	'
Total operating expenses	-6,236	-5,513	-18,294	-16,531	'
Operating income (loss)	0	0	0	0	'
Reconciliation of income from continuing operations from segments to consolidated [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Total consolidated operating income	0	0	0	0	'
Assets by segment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets	-370,455	'	-370,455	'	-359,051
Total Segments [Member]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets by segment [Abstract]	'	'	'	'	'
Assets	$967,954	'	$967,954	'	$929,791

LongTerm_Debt_Details

Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	Sep. 30, 2013	Dec. 31, 2012
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Debt	$230,200	$232,177
Current maturities	0	1,977
Total long-term debt	230,200	230,200
CoBank (fixed term loan) [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Debt	0	1,876
Term Loan A [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Debt	230,000	230,000
Other Debt [Member]	'	'
Debt Instrument [Line Items]	'	'
Debt	$200	$301

Billing_Dispute_Details

Billing Dispute (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2013	Sep. 30, 2012	Dec. 31, 2012
			Customer Disputing Billing [Member]
Accounts, Notes, Loans and Financing Receivable [Line Items]	'	'	'
Receivable disputed	$1,504	$2,135	$1,500

Subsequent_Event_Dividend_Decl1

Subsequent Event - Dividend Declaration (Details) (Subsequent Event [Member], Dividend Declared [Member], USD $)	1 Months Ended
In Millions, except Per Share data, unless otherwise specified	Oct. 22, 2013
Subsequent Event [Member] | Dividend Declared [Member]	'
Subsequent Event [Line Items]	'
Date of declaration	22-Oct-13
Dividend (in dollars per share)	$0.36
Increase in dividend (in dollars per share)	$0.03
Increase in dividend (in hundredths)	9.00%
Date of payment	2-Dec-13
Date of record	6-Nov-13
Dividends payable	$8.70