Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Intangible Assets (Changes In The Carrying Amount Of Goodwill) (Details)

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Intangible Assets (Changes In The Carrying Amount Of Goodwill) (Details) (USD $)
In Millions, unless otherwise specified
 3 Months Ended 9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2012
Sep. 30, 2011
Sep. 30, 2012
Sep. 30, 2011
Goodwill [Roll Forward]        
Balance, beginning of the year     $ 5,978  
Foreign currency translation adjustments     (3)  
Goodwill, Acquired During Period     32  
Balance, ending of the year 5,968   5,968  
Impairment of goodwill 39 0 39 0
QVC [Member]
        
Goodwill [Roll Forward]        
Balance, beginning of the year     5,354  
Foreign currency translation adjustments     (3)  
Goodwill, Acquired During Period     15  
Balance, ending of the year 5,366   5,366  
Impairment of goodwill     0  
E-commerce [Member]
        
Goodwill [Roll Forward]        
Balance, beginning of the year     624  
Foreign currency translation adjustments     0  
Goodwill, Acquired During Period     17  
Balance, ending of the year 602   602  
Impairment of goodwill     $ 39 [1]  
[1] Liberty recorded an impairment at our subsidiary Celebrate Interactive Holdings, Inc. due to continued declining operating results in that particular business and disappointing third quarter trends. Each distinct business within our E-commerce companies is considered a separate reporting unit. It was determined the fair value of that reporting unit was less than its carrying amount and the entirety of the goodwill associated with this business was impaired during the three months ended September 30, 2012. Fair value was determined based on company projections of future operating performance using a combination of market multiples and a discounted cash flow calculation (level 3).