Award-winning investigative reporter Keoki Kerr has worked his last day after nearly 26 years at KITV and will begin his new job at Hawaii News Now Jan. 16.

The move is unusual in that longtime, on-air personalities generally have a non-compete clause in their contracts preventing them from going to a competing station.

However, Kerr had been working without a contract "for awhile," he said.

Hawaii News Now is "always looking to add the right people," said News Director Mark Platte.

"When we discovered Keoki was out there, not under contract … we started talking with him about joining us."

That was about six months ago, Platte said.

For Hawaii News Now, Kerr will focus on investigative and enterprise reporting.

"Keoki obviously has a track record and we pursued him relentlessly," Platte said.

"There was a great buzz in the newsroom when he walked through here" Wednesday afternoon.

Kerr started at KITV in 1986 as an intern and worked at the station off and on, beginning his full-time career at the ABC affiliate in 1987, at age 20. He previously gained broadcast news experience as a 16-year-old at KGU-AM 760 "when there were radio newsrooms" at commercial stations, he said.

Leaving KITV, after declining a counteroffer, "was one of the most difficult things in my life," Kerr said. He wishes all his former colleagues well, but the Hawaii News Now offer "was an offer I couldn’t pass up."