Shocker! After 22 years at KITV, reporter Daryl Huff will leave his TV news career June 24 for a management position with nonprofit health care plan AlohaCare.

"I have to emphasize that I’m not the new Diane Ako," he chuckled, a reference to the former TV reporter who appears in AlohaCare advertising and who is director of public relations for Halekulani Corp. Huff will start his new job as senior director of community relations on June 27, after just a weekend’s break. "Everybody is sorry about me leaving, including me," said Huff, 54, but added, "You get to this stage in your life where you want to do something new and exciting." After reporting "lots and lots and lots of bad news stories over the years and always working on things from the outside, I’ve always hoped for the opportunity to do something constructive, and I think this is it."

After interning at the Honolulu Advertiser, Huff’s TV career started at KHON-TV in 1980 where he was an executive producer and a reporter. He then served as Washington, D.C., press secretary for U.S. Sen. Spark Matsunaga, and upon returning to Hawaii was hired as assignments manager at KITV in 1988, where after two years he segued into reporting.

"I would say it’s impossible not to feel a sense of pride," said Andrew Jackson, KITV president and general manager. "He is taking 22 years’ worth of experience with him to AlohaCare." While sad to see Huff go, Jackson called him "a wonderful part of the newsroom."

Veteran reporter Denby Fawcett retired from KITV at the end of last year, and Huff’s departure will leave another opening. "Those are very, very key reporters, so we’re in rebuilding and hiring mode," Jackson said.

Ad 2 three-peat.2

Ad 2 Honolulu has again produced the best public service campaign in the country, as revealed at the annual American Advertising Federation conference in San Diego. It also won Club of the Year honors, another repeat win.

This is the eighth time it has garnered the award and members Scott Rasak, Tai Leong, Kristane Gaspar, Nez Calaro and Maya King were at the conference this year to get the news in person. Gaspar, Calaro and King presented this year’s campaign, for Hawaii Cord Blood Bank, to judges. Last year’s campaign, for Community Helping Schools, won a Pele Award at the AAF-Hawaii annual awards gala. Hawaii Pele winners are automatically entered in the national ADDY competition — winners of which will be announced tomorrow.

Sunshine over radio waves

Syndicated radio host Peter Greenberg leaves Hawaii today after a four-day visit culminating in the taping of a show at Hilton Hawaiian Village. His guests included Star-Advertiser reporter Allison Schaefers, MidWeek food industry expert Jo McGarry, chef and restaurateur Roy Yamaguchi, Port Waikiki Cruises‘ Doug Ewalt, musician Taimane Gardner and stand-up paddleboard instructor Errol Kane, from whom Greenberg had received a lesson. The show is to air July 23 and can be heard locally from 6 to 9 a.m. on KHNR-AM 690.

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Erika Engle is a reporter with the Star-Advertiser. Reach her by e-mail at erika@staradvertiser.com.