PEOPLE IN ENTERTAINMENT

* A couple of Latino-themed comedy programs are in the works. Richard (Cheech) Marin and the Latino comedy group Culture Clash are developing a show for Fox Broadcasting. Marin, formerly of the comic pair “Cheech and Chong,” has starred in the films “Born in East L.A.” and “Shrimp on the Barbie”. Sources say he will probably produce and direct the series. Meanwhile, at ABC, the Latins Anonymous comedy troupe is also preparing a TV series.

Two prominent Mexican actors, Valentin Trujillo and Hector Bonilla have co-produced a powerful film, “Rojo Amanecer” (“Red Sunrise”). The Grand Prix winner at the 1990 San Sebastian Film Festival, the movie recalls the bloody 1968 suppression of student demonstrations in Mexico City. What became known as “the massacre at Tlatelolco” took place in that city 10 days before the Summer Olympic Games began there. The violence left hundreds of students and civilians dead, wounded and missing and marked a turning point in the history of modern Mexico.

Made on a shoestring budget of $400,000, “Rojo Amanecer” captures the human drama from the perspective of a middle-class Mexican family. Heated controversy surrounds its omission as Mexico’s entry in the upcoming Academy Awards. But “Rojo Amanecer” has already won a major victory against censorship. Only movies officially approved by the Mexican government can be released commercially.

The long-awaited authorization for the showing of “Rojo Amanecer” is “a stimulus and a challenge to make better movies, more daring and imaginative, because we will eliminate self-censorship,” said Bonilla, who also stars in the film.

Adding a new dimension to her career, TV talk-show hostess Cristina Saralegui will launch a radio show, “Cristina Opina” (“In Cristina’s Opinion”). The 3 1/2 minute, Spanish-language segment will debut Feb. 11 and will be on the air Monday through Friday via Cadena Radio Centro (CRC), which provides programming for 50 stations nationwide. Saralegui will discuss a variety of topics on the show, which will be carried locally on KWKW-AM radio.