news-date-check tweaking..

[Alfred M. Szmidt]

In inetutils we use something like `Version 1.6 (2008-12-27):' in
NEWS, but news-date-check hardcodes it, and expects something else, `*
FOO 1.6 (2008-12-27)', would this be acceptable for overriding the
format?

diff --git a/top/maint.mk b/top/maint.mk
index c3fab9a..18f63af 100644
--- a/top/maint.mk
+++ b/top/maint.mk
@@ -71,6 +71,10 @@ gnu_ftp_host-beta = alpha.gnu.org
 gnu_ftp_host-stable = ftp.gnu.org
 gnu_rel_host ?= $(gnu_ftp_host-$(RELEASE_TYPE))
 
+# Override this in cfg.mk if you are using a different format in your
+# NEWS file.
+news-date-regexp ?= '^\*.* $(VERSION_REGEXP) ('$$today')'
+
 ifeq ($(gnu_rel_host),ftp.gnu.org)
 url_dir_list ?= http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/$(PACKAGE)
 else
@@ -570,7 +574,7 @@ sc_makefile_check:
 
 news-date-check: NEWS
        today=`date +%Y-%m-%d`;                                         \
-       if head $(srcdir)/NEWS | grep '^\*.* $(VERSION_REGEXP) ('$$today')' \
+       if head $(srcdir)/NEWS | grep $(news-date-regexp)               \
            >/dev/null; then                                            \
          :;                                                            \
        else                                                            \