rV aunch morning news show By Doug Pullen JOURNAL ENTERTAINMENT WRITER Channel 25 (VVEYI) hopes to capitalize on the popularity of NBC’s “Today” show by launching its own morning news show, “NBC25 News Today,” on Monday. The half-hour program, which will be heavy on weather news, will be broadcast weekdays at 6:30 a.m., between NBC’s “Early Today” show at 6 a.m. and “Today” at 7 a.m. “Today” is the top-rated morning news show nationally and second locally to ABC’s “Good Morning America,” which is broad cast on Channel 12 (WJRT). The new show will compete against simi lar programs on WJRT (Channel 12) and WNEM (Channel 5). “NBC25 News Today” will be anchored by Kathy Hoekstra, who has been with WEYI’s news staff for 2b' years and who has done the morning news cut-ins during the “Today” and “Later Today” shows. Hoek stra be joined by meteorologist Brian James, who recently joined the staff from WGKI in Cadillac. They will continue to anchor news cut-ins during the “Later Today” show at 9 a.m. The new show will blend everything from local news and weather to health news and appliance repair help. The emphasis will be on weather information, according to Roger Lyons, WEYI’s news director. “We did research for this market and weather is the No. 1 thing (viewers want),” Lyons said. “So this program will be weath er-driven. No matter what time you put it on, you’ll get weather information within the next couple of minutes.” The show has been created knowing that viewers who are busy preparing for work or school don’t have time to park in front of a television in the morning. “It will be very audio-driven, meaning you can get kids ready for school or you can get ready for work and still be able to have the TV on and pick up what’s going on,” Lyons said. The show has been well-received by ad vertisers, said Don Wiggins, WEYI’s sales manager. “We’re 85 percent sold out for the Mqrchr launch. That’s just phenomenal,” Wiggjps said. , Lyons said “NBC25 News Today” al$o designed to enhance the station’s overall news content. The station, No. 3 in docah news ratings, has improved its news product and ratings over the past couple of years-te, “It has been a real concentrated effprttb grow and make (news) competitive,” Lytyte", said. “We realize we’re up against two very solid competitors in WJRT and WNEM,'but clearly we believe there is room in the mar ket for us,” he said. - 1 nsf' “NBC25 News Today” replaces “First.. Business,” a syndicated business news, puo;- • gram, which has been dropped. [ -