The board and staff of NZ On Air acknowledge with regret the resignation of chief executive Jane Wrightson and congratulate her on her new position as the Retirement Commissioner.
Ms Wrightson has led the funding agency for 12 years and transformed it from broadcast-focused local content to a strategic public media agency supporting a huge range of NZ content and music on many different platforms.
Chair Dr Ruth Harley said the agency had big shoes to fill and thanked Jane Wrightson for her dedication and creativity.
“Jane has built an outstanding team, and agency, and the board and I congratulate her on her many achievements. Thanks to changes she led to restructure the agency and implement a fully platform-neutral funding system, she leaves NZ On Air in great shape for the challenges ahead.”
Ms Wrightson said that she would miss both the people and the content. She says she is proud of all funded work, having overseen the funding of over 12,000 hours of screen content in her current stint, plus thousands of music videos and other media.
In particular the departing Chief Executive pointed to the creation of three platforms she had championed: children’s ad-free site HEIHEI, as well as NZ On Screen and sister site AudioCulture - lively ongoing showcases of NZ screen and music, and the Coconet.tv - connecting Pacific peoples with their roots.
“Advocating for and supporting quality New Zealand media in a crowded global marketplace is a privilege and a joy”, she said. She is delighted to have been offered a new challenge and says she looks forward to watching the continued growth of NZ On Air and the screen, radio and music industries.
Jane Wrightson finishes with NZ On Air on January 31st 2020.