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 in 1994.
Having failed to maintain his role as Chief Censor after the passage of the Films, Videos, and Publications Act 1993, Wrightson moved on to oversee television programming and later became a key figure in the leadership of New Zealand On Air in 1994.