Jane Theresa Wrightson (born 2 January 1958) is New Zealand's Retirement Commissioner. She was previously New Zealand's eighth Chief Censor, and first woman Chief Censor, from 1991 to 1993, when Films, Videos, and Publications Act became law.

Early life and family

Wrightson was born in

Hastings Hastings () is a large seaside town and borough in East Sussex on the south coast of England, east to the county town of Lewes and south east of London. The town gives its name to the Battle of Hastings, which took place to the north-west ...

on 2 January 1958, the daughter of Pearl Wrightson (née French) and Trevor Wrightson. She was educated at

Hastings Girls' High School Hastings Girls' High School is a girls' high school in Hastings, New Zealand for students in Years 9 to 13. The school is the main all-female secondary school within Hastings City. It was originally a co-ed school, joined with Hastings Boys' ...

from 1971 to 1975, before going on to university. She completed a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

in English at

Victoria University of Wellington Victoria University of Wellington ( mi, Te Herenga Waka) is a university in Wellington, New Zealand. It was established in 1897 by Act of Parliament, and was a constituent college of the University of New Zealand. The university is well kno ...

in 1979, a Diploma in Business Administration at Massey University in 1985, and a Master of Business Administration with Distinction at Massey in 1994.

Career

Early career

Wrightson worked for a decade for TVNZ, including in the programming department, and was head of commissioned programmes from 1989 to 1991.

Chief Censor

Between 1991 and 1994, Wrightson served as Chief Film Censor. Wrightson wrote in 1992 that her “strong will has been a blessing and a curse to me. The strength is needed as a film censor – there are so many individuals and groups pulling in so many different directions that after absorbing all the approaches one simply has to go with instincts, consultation and a healthy dollop of common sense.” In 1992, Wrightson banned '' Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer'', calling it a “ stalk and slash” movie too violent for New Zealand screens. This was the first mainstream film to be banned from exhibition at the Wellington Film Festival, whose director called her too conservative. The film was later passed, with cuts, on video by the Video Recordings Authority. Earlier that year, she passed, as R18, the Australian

tantric sex Tantric sex or sexual yoga refers to a wide range of practices carried on in Hindu and Buddhist tantra to exercise sexuality in a ritualized or yogic context, often associated with antinomian or impure elements, like consumption of alcohol, and ...

film ''Sacred Sex'' which was appealed unsuccessfully to the Film and Video Board of Review by the

Society for the Promotion of Community Standards The Society for Promotion of Community Standards Inc. ("SPCS") is a conservative lobby group in New Zealand. A registered charity and incorporated society, the Society has taken a strong pro-censorship stance and clashed many times with the Office ...

who viewed her classification as too liberal.

Later career

Having unsuccessfully applied to continue as Chief Censor after Parliament passed the Films, Videos, and Publications Act 1993, Wrightson became television programme manager, and soon deputy chief executive, of

New Zealand On Air NZ On Air (NZOA; mi, Irirangi te Motu), formally the Broadcasting Commission, is an autonomous Crown entity and commission of the New Zealand Government responsible for funding support for broadcasting and creative works. The commission ope ...

in 1994. She then became chief executive of the Screen Production and Development Association (SPADA) in 1999, and chief executive of the

Broadcasting Standards Authority The Broadcasting Standards Authority (BSA; mi, Te Mana Whanonga Kaipāho) is a New Zealand Crown entity created by the Broadcasting Act 1989 to develop and uphold standards of broadcasting for radio, free-to-air and pay television. The main ...

in 2003,. Between 2007 and 2019 Wrightson was Chief Executive of funding body

. In February 2020 she took up the role of Retirement Commissioner for a three-year term. Wrightson is also a chartered member of the

New Zealand Institute of Directors The Institute of Directors in New Zealand (IoD) is a New Zealand-based organisation that supports, represents and sets standards for directors in New Zealand. It began 40 years ago as a division of the Institute of Directors The Institute of D ...

, and a trustee of the Digital Media Trust that set up NZ screen history and culture site

NZ On Screen NZ On Screen is a state-funded online promotional showcase of New Zealand television and film. Funded by NZ On Air, it provides free worldwide access to NZ-produced television, film and music videos. Content is streamed and the webpages provide ...

Other activities

Wrightson retired from the Board of

Netball New Zealand Netball New Zealand is the national body which oversees, promotes and manages netball in New Zealand, including the Silver Ferns. In 2019, 137,713 players were registered with Netball New Zealand, the governing body for organised netball in the co ...

in 2007 after an eight-year stint, and served on the Swimming NZ Board for five years until 2012. She was also a film reviewer for the '' Evening Post'' newspaper in Wellington from 1994.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wrightson, Jane 1958 births Living people Massey University alumni Chief Censors of New Zealand Victoria University of Wellington alumni People from Hastings, New Zealand 21st-century New Zealand public servants