Seattle-based Blue Frog Mobile--a mobile entertainment provider which recently completed a $16 million funding round with Canaan Partners and MK Capital--has launched a service, called txtv, that allows viewers to send text messages from their mobiles for display on TV programs. The company says that the service has been tested successfully in a number of markets and that it will be announcing several partnerships in the near future. It says that it plans to share messaging revenue generated by the service with its broadcast partners: all fees from the service will appear directly on the viewer's monthly mobile bill. "As cell phones become the predominant entertainment tool, it's a natural step for text messaging to be broadcast on television," Blue Frog Mobile CEO, Ron Erickson, said in a prepared statement. "It's the perfect marriage of old school and new school communications--and the result is a true interactive television experience for the viewer and new revenue opportunities for the broadcaster."
In other Blue Frog Mobile news: the company has named Jon Carson chief technology officer. Carson was previously VP of technology at Giftcertificates.com and engineering director for AOL/Tegic's Wireless Application division. The company also recently named Mark Olson CFO. Olson was previously controller at mobile games company, Mforma Group.
