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By Greg Sowinski, The Lima News, Ohio
Jul. 2--LIMA -- The owner of WOHL filed a lawsuit against the parent company of WLIO to stop the company from interfering with its business relationship with FOX.
The lawsuit, filed under seal late Monday, was released Tuesday with a lot of redaction of information. TV 67 Inc., whose president is Greg Phipps, accused Block Communication Inc., of Toledo, of interfering with the contract and business relationship TV 67 has with FOX Broadcasting Co. and FOX News Network.
The lawsuit seeks more than $25,000 in damages and an injunction to stop Block's interference with FOX. It also seeks to enforce a nondisclosure agreement between Phipps' company and Block Communications made in October.
"Defendant's actions against plaintiff have been taken knowingly, intentionally, with malice, and in conscious disregard of plaintiff's rights," Phipps said in the lawsuit.
Phipps and his wife, Kathleen, own Metro Video Productions. Phipps also owns television stations WLMO and WLQP, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit also said that Block Communications misappropriated trade secrets, which could harm the financial security of Phipps' company.
Judge Richard Warren, of Allen County Common Pleas Court, set a July 9 hearing on the injunction. Warren redacted parts of the lawsuit in an effort to balance the economic interests of the parties and the public's right to information, his order said.
"The part of the record which is not being released at this time contains possible trade secrets and proprietary information," Warren's order said. All records, except those released Tuesday, will remain sealed until the hearing.
"The case is without merit and we plan to vigorously defend ourselves," said Bruce Opperman, president and general manager of WLIO
Block Communication's Toledo attorney, Keith Wilkowski, said he would like to comment on the merits of the lawsuit but will not because of the judge's order.
"We need to respect the judge's order and make sure we're not commenting on anything that he has ordered to be held under seal," he said.
Phipps could not be reached for comment.
You can comment on this story at www.limaohio.com.
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