Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Investments In Available-For-Sale Securities And Other Cost Investments (Investments In Available-For-Sale Securities And Other Cost Investments) (Details)

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Investments In Available-For-Sale Securities And Other Cost Investments (Investments In Available-For-Sale Securities And Other Cost Investments) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, except Share data
 1 Months Ended
Jan. 31, 2011
Jun. 30, 2011
Dec. 31, 2010
Investments in available-for-sale securities   $ 4,244 $ 4,551
Stock issued during period, stock splits (shares) 8    
Stock issued during period, stock reverse splits (shares) 7    
Subscription agreement, shares   5,500,000  
Subscription agreement, amount   58  
Time Warner Inc. [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   453 [1],[2] 1,101 [1],[2]
Time Warner Cable Inc. [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   244 [1],[2] 567 [1],[2]
Sprint [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   248 [2] 301 [2]
Motorola Solutions [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   341 [2],[3] 471 [2],[3]
Motorola Mobility [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   143 [2],[3]  
Viacom, Inc. [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   387 301
Live Nation [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   25 [4] 389 [4]
Century Link, Inc. [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   148 [2] 248 [2]
Priceline [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   267 [2] 208 [2]
Other AFS Equity Securities [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   43 [1],[2] 100 [1],[2]
SIRIUS XM Debt Securities [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   389 384
Other AFS Debt Securities [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   222 404
Other Cost Investments And Related Receivables [Member] | Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   8 9
Segment, Liberty Capital [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   2,918 4,483
Time Warner Inc. [Member] | Segment, Liberty Interactive [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   792 [1]  
Time Warner Cable Inc. [Member] | Segment, Liberty Interactive [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   427 [1]  
Other [Member] | Segment, Liberty Interactive [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   42 [1] 1 [1]
Segment, Liberty Interactive [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   1,261 1
Other [Member] | Segment, Liberty Starz [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   65 67
Segment, Liberty Starz [Member]
      
Investments in available-for-sale securities   $ 65 $ 67
[1] As discussed in note 2, certain of these securities were reattributed from the Capital Group to the Interactive Group in the first quarter of 2011.
[2] Includes shares pledged as collateral for share borrowing arrangements. See note 8.
[3] Effective January 4, 2011 Motorola, Inc. separated Motorola Mobility Holdings, Inc. in a 1 for 8 stock distribution. Motorola, Inc. simultaneously completed a 1 for 7 reverse stock split and was renamed Motorola Solutions, Inc.
[4] In June 2011, the Company acquired an additional 5.5 million shares of Live Nation for $58 million. The additional ownership requires the Company to account for the investment as an equity method affiliate. For additional discussion see footnote 7. Liberty continues to hold debt securities in Live Nation which are included in available-for-sale securities.