Blanca Soto Signs Exclusive Multi-Project Deal With Telemundo

Blanca Soto.  Photo Credit: Telemundo Studios

Telemundo announced on Monday it had signed an exclusive multi-project deal with acclaimed Mexican actress Blanca Soto. The television, film and stage actress has starred in popular telenovelas such as Porque el amor manda, Talisman and Eva Luna, as well as in English-language productions such as the comedies Deep in the Valley and Dinner for Schmucks. She also has appeared in several music videos, including Billy Currington's "Must Be Doin’ Something Right," winner of the hottest video of the year award at the Country Music Television Music Awards in 2006.

PORQUE EL AMOR MANDA To Premiere March 11

Internationally known actor Fernando Colunga (AMOR REAL, MANANA ES PARA SIEMPRE, SOY TU DUENA) unites for the first time with novela leading lady Blanca Soto (who helped catapult Univision Studios’ debut dramatic production EVA LUNA to unprecedented ratings heights) in Univision’s newest romantic comedy, PORQUE EL AMOR MANDA (Because Love Rules) premiering on Monday, March 11 at 8 p.m. ET/PT (7 p.m. Central).

Alma Montemayor (Soto) gets more than she bargained for when she hires Jesús García (Colunga) as her assistant following his move to Mexico City from Chicago. Hilarity ensues as Jesús tries to succeed in a position for which he is ill-equipped, yet still manages to capture Alma’s heart. The two find themselves falling deeply in love despite the inconvenient fact that Alma is Jesús’ boss and discover that when love rules…there are no rules.

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL Vying For Seventh Consecutive Audience Award Win At The Monte Carlo TV Festival; Faces LA REINA DEL SUR & EVA LUNA

THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL will be vying for its seventh consecutive win at the Monte Carlo Television Festival’s International TV Audience Awards in the “Telenovela/ Soap Opera” category.  EVA LUNA and LA REINA DEL SUR are also nominated.  Winning this award for the last six years, with an estimated 35 million daily viewers in over 100 countries, THE BOLD AND THE BEAUTIFUL remains the most watched daily dramatic series in the world.

EVA LUNA Wins Banff Rockie Award For Best Soap

The Banff World Media Festival got underway with the Banff Rockie Awards for fiction on Sunday night. MASTERPIECE THEATRE's "Sherlock: A Study in Pink" from BBC Wales beat out HBO’s BOARDWALK EMPIRE, ABC’s GREY'S ANATOMY and ABC Family’s PRETTY LITTLE LIARS for the best continuing series Rockie.

The Rockie for best soap went to EVA LUNA from Univision and Venevision Productions, which beat back competition from ITV’s CORONATION STREET, NBC’s DAYS OF OUR LIVES and Telemundo’s THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH.

NEWS: Katie Couric, Susan Lucci, Fernanda Romero, Univision

CBS Thinks ABC Will Get Katie Couric
One person close to Couric described the ABC move as "a distinct possibility."

Sources say CBS News insiders initially accepted the idea of having Couric keep a role in the division, but have grown weary with the drawn-out negotiation process. "They are ready to wish her well," says one person close to the talks.

"No comment," says a spokesman at ABC News.

Susan Lucci: ALL MY CHILDREN is in the 'Best of Hands'
"It's horrible and it's sad and disappointing, but we're on for five more months," said Lucci. "And the best thing the fans can do is watch, because Lorraine Broderick and Agnes Nixon (both longtime writers on the program) are at the helm and we are in the best of hands."

PEOPLE en Espanol Names the 50 Most Beautiful Hispanic Celebrities

PEOPLE en Espanol's "50 Most Beautiful" issue celebrates its 15th annual edition, honoring the hottest and freshest names in Hispanic entertainment. This year the magazine goes back in time to depict four iconic decades: the 50s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. The exclusive photographs were shot by celebrity photographer Omar Cruz on location in a total of six major cities: New York, Miami, Orlando, Los Angeles, Mexico City and London.

Helping to commemorate the issue are two special honorees; Spanish singer Enrique Iglesias, who was featured in the magazine's first ever Bellos issue; and Sofia Vergara, who has appeared on this list an incredible six times. In a recent interview for the issue, Iglesias opened up about his fears: "I've always been afraid of not being happy, of loosing the motivation to keep fighting. That's why I want to enjoy every moment," says the singer. Joining them is Mexican actress Kate del Castillo who currently stars in Telemundo's hit telenovela LA REINA DEL SUR. The Spanish soap opera has been receiving a great deal of buzz for its network-breaking ratings. Among these Bellos veterans—and making his first ever Bellos debut—is Venezuelan actor Edgar Ramirez. Ramirez, who most recently was awarded a Golden Globe nomination for his role in Carlos (IFC Films), comments on being a newcomer to Hollywood: "When you're at award ceremonies or parties, life isn't as glamorous as you read it in the magazine...it's a lot of work and distance from your country."

As for the details on the highly-anticipated cover and behind the scenes footage, readers can tune into the Los 50 Mas Bellos de People en Espanol TV special, transmitted through the Univision network, on Thursday, April 28 at 10:00pm/9:00pm Central.

The complete list of People en Espanol's "50 Most Beautiful":

1.Alejandra Guzman—Mexican singer
2.Ana Maria Polo—Cuban-American TV host, CASO CERRADO (Telemundo)
3.Angelique Boyer—Mexican actress, TERESA (Univision)
4.Blanca Soto—Mexican actress, EVA LUNA (Univision)

NEWS: Banff World Media Awards, BBC, David Sutcliffe, Oprah

Best Soap Opera/Telenovela nominees announced for Banff World Media Awards
Top-rating primetime Kapamilya soap MARA CLARA picked up a 2011 Banff World Media Festival – also known as the Rockies – nomination over the weekend.

The drama serial remake competes for Best Soap Opera/Telenovela category alongside South Korea's BREAD, LOVE AND DREAMS (BAKER KING also aired on GMA-7), UK's CORONATION STREET, USA's DAYS OF OUR LIVES, EVA LUNA and THE QUEEN OF THE SOUTH.

The Best Soap Opera/Telenovela category falls under The Fiction Rockies bracket which will announce winners June 12 (June 13 in Manila) at the AOL Canada Theater.

Nominees in other categories include BOARDWALK EMPIRE, GREY'S ANATOMY, PRETTY LITTLE LIARS and DETROIT 1-8-7.

NEWS: Soaps Doing Well Outside U.S., Hershey, Brian Kirkendall

CNN: Soaps are hot, just not in the U.S.
Craving for a storyline is still there and Peter Tinoco, president and chief executive officer of Venevision Productions, said telenovela audiences enjoy that weaving of a tale.

"There is a difference between our telenovela and the soap operas in the United States," he said. "The soap operas in the United States are ongoing while our telenovelas are like if you were reading a book which has a beginning and an ending and through it people try to live the life of the protagonist. I think the success is in having a beginning and an ending because people don't get tired of watching something."

Tinoco's company is the producer of the telenovela, EVA LUNA, which is the highest-rated domestically produced telenovela. The show recently presented its grand finale on the Univision network which drew more than 9.7 million viewers, according to Nielsen data.