P. M. BRIEFING : GTE Wins $100-Million Libel Suit
<i> From Times wire service</i> s
CLEARWATER, Fla. —
A jury awarded $100 million in libel damages today to GTE Corp. after rejecting Home Shopping Network’s claim that the communications company was to blame for lost sales.
HSN contended that GTE did not give it adequate equipment to handle a large volume of calls in 1986 and 1987 as the network expanded into 11 new markets. GTE won the case on its counterclaim.
The six-member jury reached its verdict after about five hours of deliberations in the complicated case following a six-week trial before Pinellas Circuit Judge Howard Rives.
