Ask Gary Sued

The owner of a company that purchased the naming rights to a Tampa, Fla., amphitheatre is caught up in a legal tangle with Supermedia, the publisher of the Yellow Pages, over missed payments.

Supermedia alleged in a lawsuit earlier this year that lawyer and doctor referral service 1-800-Ask-Gary owes nearly $745,000 for advertisements in the phone book, according to documents obtained by the St. Petersburg Times.

Live Nation, which owns the shed, announced last June that the former Ford Amphitheatre had been renamed 1-800-Ask-Gary Amphitheatre in a multiyear naming rights deal. Under the terms of the agreement, 1-800-Ask-Gary reportedly shells out $375,000 annually for the rights.

Supermedia’s suit claims that 1-800-Ask-Gary breached its contract and could be found liable for collection costs and attorneys fees, the Times said.