Sí TV Honors Beloved Comedian Freddy Soto.

Sí TV, the first English-language Latino cable network, will air a one hour tribute to rising Latino comic Freddy Soto, who died suddenly Saturday, July 9. The special will run commercial-free with the extra time reserved for raising money for Soto’s widow and daughter.

“We are extremely saddened by the news of Freddy’s passing,” says Jeff Valdez, co-founder and chairman of Sí TV. “Freddy was a loved member of the Sí TV family and will be immensely missed. This special is our way of recognizing his tremendous talent and supporting his grieving family.”

The tribute will feature a series of Soto’s appearances on Sí TV. From his half-hour “Latino Laugh Festival” special performance to his “Inside Joke” profile to special behind-the-scenes footage from his posthumous tribute at the Comedy Store on July 14th. The Sí TV special will also feature testimonials from Soto’s friends from the world of comedy such as Al Madrigal, Jill-Michele Meleán, Darren Carter, and Gene Pompa.

Soto received national recognition for his featured role in “Spanglish” as an impromptu translator. Soto also opened for singer Marc Anthony, participated in several pilots for UPN and CBS, and appeared on late-night talk shows including “The Tonight Show,” and “The Late Show.” A DVD of his concert tour, “Three Amigos,” in which Freddy starred with fellow comics Pablo Francisco and Carlos Mencia, was recently released by Miramax.