WFTV-Channel 9 will expand Eyewitness News Daybreak to sister station WRDQ-Channel 27 starting next month.

Orlando Sentinel TV Guy Hal Boedeker reports that the Greg Warmoth- and Vanessa Echols-anchored morning show will air from 5-7 a.m. on WFTV, then from 7 to 8:30 a.m. on WDRQ beginning Jan. 15. This will put the WFTV-produced newscast in direct competition with WOFL-Fox 35's local morning news.

"We've done some research that shows there is a hunger for local news," said Shawn Bartelt, general manager of both stations. "We're coming from a position of strength. Viewers want an option that will give them local news, weather and traffic."

The move may be a pre-emptive strike to counter rumored plans by WESH-Channel 2 to expand its morning newscast to sister station WKCF-Channel 18 once the CW affiliate's deal with the syndicated Daily Buzz expires next year. Both WFTV and WESH switch to national programming -- Good Morning America and Today, respectively -- at 7 a.m now.

WFTV has good reason to expand its morning franchise. It's the No. 1 morning show in Central Florida -- and in the nation. NewsBlues.com reports that the WFTV show had the highest ratings among all ABC affiliates in metered markets in the just completed November sweeps.

NewsBlues says that WFTV ND Bob Jordan had promised Daybreak producer Chandra Taylor a "purse of her choice" if she achieved a 25-share for the show. Well, she did just that, and Jordan recently took her to Mall at Millenia where Taylor selected a Prada purse valued at $1,500.