Cristina Who?

By CBSNews.com staff CBSNews.com staff

September 9, 1998 / 12:47 PM EDT / CBS

With her show on the Spanish language network, Univision, Cristina Saralegui is known the world over simply as Cristina.

Like her husband, Marcos, she's a Cuban exile. They've created a media empire that rivals that of Oprah Winfrey. And if they have anything to say about it, their success story is just beginning.

Whether it's a book signing in New York City or Mexico City or an appearance promoting her own line of eyeglasses in Puerto Rico, she's always guaranteed to draw big crowds of dedicated fans.

Her show has been on the air for 10 years, during which the market has grown tremendously. She commands a respect and attention not only of Latin stars but Anglo stars as well.

"I wake up around 8:00 in the morning, I run my four miles, work with my trainer, eat well, I'm a good girl," says Cristina.

She adds: "Then I come here, makeup and hair, two shows a night. We finish taping 1:00 in the morning. Even though our show airs at 4:00 in the afternoon, people don't know we tape it at night and the reason is, if you want to get a rowdy audience, they are night owls."
Cristina says the difference between the Hispanic talk show and its American counterpart is that "We do not fight."

Cristina's husband, Marcos Avila, manages her various business ventures, and he's the one who talked Cristina into trying television.

Their accomplishments in TV are all the more remarkable when you consider that this is the second successful career for each of them.

Cristina was a print journalist for 20 years before television, including editor-in-chief of the Spanish language Cosmopolitan.

Marcos was an original member of Miami Sound Machine, playing bass for the band. That's where he found his "best man" for his wedding to Cristina, Gloria Estefan. Today, music is about the only thing that's not part of their business.

Cristina's message includes speaking out about serious problems facing the world's Spanish-speaking community, problems Latinos often have a hard time talking about, like AIDS:

"Now, when you're a teen-ager, and you want to make love, you risk your life. There's so much misinformation out there that I think if I had to pick one thing, I'd pick AIDS education because kids are not going to stop making love, and it's our duty to protect them."

Her popularity also translates into financial power. Cristina was one of the first Latina stars to earn more than a million dollars, the kind of salary that English-speaking stars demand.
On top of everything else, Cristina and Marcos also somehow find the time to raise a family. But they still have one more goal: A successful show in English.

"I think what Marc and I have done represents the American dream. Not [only] for Latinos; it represents the American dream for everybody. We are all here in the big meltin pot. I'm an immigrant. I would like to do a show for all of us."