NOYZ was an American television network owned and operated by Seattle-based Blue Frog Media.
Blue Frog Media was a Seattle mobile media and entertainment company co-founded by Ron Erickson.[1] Originally called Blue Frog Mobile, it sold ringtones, wallpaper images, and games to cell-phone users.[2] Erickson was chairman and CEO[3] of the company until 2007.[4]
In addition to NOYZ, Blue Frog also established BULLA, a Hispanic music channel similar to NOYZ. BULLA was discontinued in December 2007 due to budget and staffing cuts.[5]
In 2006 Blue Frog became best known for founding NOYZ, a television network that aired mostly pop and hip hop music videos, where members could send text messages to be placed on the air.[4] The videos featured a continuing interactive chat on the bottom third of the screen, where members could talk using text messages transmitted to the network to be placed on air. Each message cost 99¢, and had to be broadcast-safe to be featured on-air.
The network aired beginning in 2007 overnights on the men's digital cable network MAVTV, but as of January 10, 2008 that network discontinued airing it, suggesting NOYZ went off-the-air. Shortly after, the network's website was taken offline and would lead to a domain parking page. Blue Frog Media had burned through $16 million of venture capital funding over three years and was unable to raise any more money, and filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on February 1, 2008, with $1 million in liabilities from service providers, television stations and other creditors.[6] Blue Frog had planned further expansion before their bankruptcy in 2008, using the funds from the shutdown of BULLA to establish Noyz Country (a country-oriented channel), and UR Noyz, which would focus on Christian music.[7]
