First-time Awl contributor Thomas Larson has a solid feature about the history of the San Diego Union-Tribune and recent changes under the controversial new ownership of Doug Manchester.

His piece really finds its stride when he zeroes in on U-T TV, a broadcast channel spinoff that he believes is cut from the Fox News Channel cloth:

Come 6 a.m., it’s time for “Scott, B.R. + Amber,” a “live five-hour personality driven show with topical news, entertainment and captivating guests.” [FishbowlLA editor's note: The show is actually called FrontPage with Scott & Amber.] Scott is veteran shock jock, Scott Kaplan. B.R. is an ex-Chargers player, Billy Ray Smith. Amber Mesker, who is in her late 20s, is the only one with a degree in broadcast journalism.

Kaplan, not unlike the dimwits who surround Ron Burgundy in Anchorman (also set in “classy” San Diego), worked for Lynch on a morning radio show that was canceled a year ago because of sexist comments Kaplan made. (The reason for the firing, unexpectedly enough, gets a full airing on the U-T site.) Not surprisingly, in so far as any of them understands politics, the trio’s right-wing bias mirrors the owners.

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The newspaper formerly known as the San Diego Union-Tribune just debuted phase two of its reinvention as a multi-media company: UT-TV. The U-T‘s newsroom will soon have a fully functional television station smack in the middle of it. So… how about that promo video?

Interestingly, sports radio host Scott Kaplan looks like he’ll be playing a major role at UT-TV. Which is a bit surprising since he publicly blamed the Union-Tribune for getting him fired from his last job at XX 1090 Sports.