DISCOVERY CHANNEL'S TOP TALENT ON BOTH LAND AND SEA TO STAR IN 21ST ANNUAL SHARK WEEK, PREMIERING JULY 27 TO AUGUST 2

- America's Favorite Summer Television Event Features Six Premieres and Nightly Public Service Announcements with Ocean Conservancy -

(Silver Spring, Md.) � From Adam and Jamie to hammerhead and whale sharks, the biggest stars of both land and sea get VIP treatment on Discovery Channel this summer, as SHARK WEEK returns for its 21st year beginning July 27. The MYTHBUSTERS, SURVIVORMAN's Les Stroud and DIRTY JOBS' Mike Rowe join noted shark researchers to lend their unique brand of expertise to this highly anticipated annual event, taking viewers from the Bahamas to South Africa, and from Australia to the Arctic to spotlight the diversity of sharks.

America's favorite summer television event, SHARK WEEK airs July 27 to August 2: Sunday to Friday from 7PM to midnight ET/PT, and Saturday from 9AM to 3AM ET/PT, featuring six all-new shark programs and some of the most popular and memorable programs from past years. This season's programs address myths about sharks, spotlight lesser-known and unusual sharks, and educate the public about the importance of sharks through conservation information.

SHARK WEEK kicks off with the two-hour MYTHBUSTERS: SHARK SPECIAL on Sunday, July 27 from 9-11PM ET/PT. Using their signature sci-tech style of explosive experimentation, the MythBusters hit the deep blue from California to the Bahamas to investigate myths about sharks, including: Are sharks repelled by magnets? Do dogs attract sharks? Do the vibrations caused by a flapping injured fish attract sharks? Does chili powder repel sharks? And hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman create the ultimate SHARK WEEK build � a 16-foot-long robo-shark!

Additional SHARK WEEK premieres include:

SURVIVING SHARKS: Premiering Monday, July 28 from 9-10PM ET/PT, SURVIVORMAN's Les Stroud hosts this look at how best to play it safe in the water, while testing popular theories of how to survive shark encounters.

DAY OF THE SHARK (working title): This special, premiering Monday, July 28 from 10-11PM ET/PT, chronicles six recent shark attacks that took place at different times of day, to determine if day or night is safer for swimming.

DIRTY JOBS: SHARK SPECIAL: In this special premiering Tuesday, July 29 from 9-10PM ET/PT, Mike Rowe travels to a place many wouldn't associate with sharks - the edge of the Arctic Circle - in search of the mysterious Greenland shark. A slow-moving, cold water shark, scientists hope that by learning more about it they can better understand the rapid ecological changes affecting that part of the world.

HOW NOT TO BECOME SHARK BAIT: On Tuesday, July 29 from 10-11PM ET/PT, a thrillseeking team with a purpose - escapologist Jonathan Goodwin, adrenaline junkie Yul Kwon, marine biologist Jeremiah Sullivan and scientist Dr. Marty Jopson - test shark attraction theories with lemon, tiger and reef sharks, focusing on the sensory perception of sharks including colors, vibrations, smells and other attractors. In the process, viewers learn strategies for staying safe when in the water.

MYSTERIES OF THE SHARK COAST: On Australia's northeastern coast, home to more species of sharks than anywhere else in the world, the sharks are disappearing. A cross-discipline team of marine biologist Richard Fitzpatrick, filmmaker Mike deGruy, lead scientist for the Nature Conservancy, M. Sanjayan, Ph.D, and adventurer Celine Cousteau, band together to find out why, in this two-hour special premiering Thursday, July 31 from 9-11PM ET/PT.

Continuing Discovery's commitment to educating the public about the plight of sharks around the world, public service announcements produced in conjunction with SHARK WEEK marine conservation partner, Ocean Conservancy, will be featured in primetime each night. These PSAs, read by MYTHBUSTERS' Jamie Hyneman, Adam Savage, Grant Imahara, Kari Byron and Tory Belleci, SURVIVORMAN's Les Stroud and DIRTY JOBS' Mike Rowe, will inform viewers about the threats facing sharks, and ways to help via the OceanConservancy.org website.

Viewers who want to know more about sharks can log on to discovery.com/sharkweek. The robust site will feature:

Blogs and Podcasts � including shark experts and the director of Ocean Conservancy's shark conservation program, Sonja Fordham;

State of the Shark Map - featuring the latest shark conservation status, news, shark attack data and recent discoveries of note;

Exclusive Video -- with a fun video mixer;

Mobile Shark Facts;

Sharkrunners Game - the critically-acclaimed, alternate reality game where avid shark fans become conservation-minded shark researchers, managing their own research vessel to collect shark data on 20 new sharks off the coast of Australia. Gamers receive a mobile or an email alert when a shark is near their vessel; and in a new feature for this year, have the ability to form research communities at the Sharkrunners HQ to undertake joint missions to gain more data -- and research dollars.

In its 21st year, SHARK WEEK remains a ratings hit. Last year (2007), SHARK WEEK was watched by 27.2 million viewers (P2+ coverage cume, 6 min qualifier).

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications is the world's number-one nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.5 billion cumulative subscribers in over 170 countries. Discovery empowers people to explore their world and satisfy their curiosity through 100-plus worldwide networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science Channel, Investigation Discovery and HD Theater, as well as leading consumer and educational products and services, and a diversified portfolio of digital media services including HowStuffWorks.com. Discovery Communications is owned by Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ: DISCA, DISCB), Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, Discovery's founder and chairman. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.