NHNZ's failure to secure a New Zealand television network to screen content from its new children's channel appears to be a sad indictment on traditional broadcasting in this country.
Dunedin-based NHNZ is an international success story.
The company has become one of the largest producers of natural history programming in the world.
Its content is distributed to major broadcasters including the National Geographic Channel, Animal Planet and Discovery Channel to name a few, and is viewed by millions in more than 180 countries.
It is considered a world leader in 3-D, documentary and trans-media production, with many international awards to its name.
Last week this newspaper reported the company was seeking ''global domination'' for one of its latest ventures, its ZooMoo channel, which provides educational animal-based content aimed at young children.
The channel, with interactive app, has been airing in Singapore and Brazil.
Last week it launched further into Latin America, through a partnership with the largest satellite TV company provider in the United States, DirecTV.
This could also help it into the lucrative US market. The channel will launch in Indonesia next month.
Given the global take-up, it is understandable NHNZ has felt snubbed at home.
Last week it hit out at TVNZ, TV3, Maori TV and Sky, having pitched the content for screening on television here.
NHNZ managing director Kyle Murdoch called the networks ''archaic'' for rejecting it, and was particularly upset by some feedback including that its programmes weren't ''innovative enough''.
TV3 and TVNZ, respectively, cited viewer demand and limited production funding as factors dictating their programming and Mr Murdoch did acknowledge New Zealand's strict rules regarding advertising during children's television were also a factor.
Of course, the biggest reasons are economic.
All traditional broadcasters and media companies are facing increasing challenges and pressure in the online world.
Even though TVNZ is a government-owned national television broadcaster and receives government funding, most of its revenue comes from advertising.
There is no doubt the market is commercially driven and producing and buying cheaper content is inevitable.
Programming decisions often create debate, and it is impossible to keep all viewers, listeners or readers happy. But a regular criticism is that quality is suffering.
It does seem insulting an internationally recognised and ground-breaking company such as NHNZ should be criticised for not being innovative enough - given much of the prime-time content on NZ screens, particularly the glut of reality shows, is derivative.
It is somewhat disingenuous to claim production funding constraints, when the content in question has already been produced.
Fortunately, NHNZ does not rely on the local market, producing its content for the global marketplace.
It is a canny operator which will undoubtedly continue to make great strides internationally.
Nevertheless, it is a loss for New Zealanders that they don't see most of the quality content the company currently produces.
(It is worth noting TV One will air NHNZ's new show, Our Big Blue Backyard, about marine locations around New Zealand's coastline, in November.)
Dunedin has a proud history of producing quality children's television, and was at the forefront of children's programme-making in the 1970s and 1980s with shows such as Play School, Spot On and Wild Track.
NHNZ had its genesis as TVNZ's Natural History Unit.
It is testament to the skills, vision and legacy of talented Dunedin people that audiences worldwide now experience the quality programmes produced by NHNZ.
It can only be hoped the situation comes full circle, with more recognition at home as well as abroad.
Consumers are increasingly choosing online viewing options and New Zealanders will simply opt out of traditional broadcasting if it doesn't suit them.
In this technological age, it is a case of survival of the fittest.
NHNZ is now in talks with Sky and Spark about putting some of its content online, and if that fails it says it may decide to launch its own online video on demand channel here.
For now, it is a case of ''watch this space''.
