RIC SAVAGE'S FAMILY JOINS IN ON THE HUNT

"SAVAGE FAMILY DIGGERS" PREMIERES ON SPIKE TV WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 30 AT 10:00 PM, ET/PT

New Season Follows Former Professional Wrestler Ric Savage and His Family Around the Country as They Uncover Hidden Treasure and Relics Found in the Backyards of Everyday Americans

New York, NY, December 17, 2012 - Ric Savage returns to Spike TV, and this time he's bringing his entire family along for the second season of "Savage Family Diggers" (formerly known as "American Digger"), premiering on Wednesday, January 30 at 10:00 PM, ET/PT. The series follows American Savage, the digging company, led by Savage family patriarch and former professional wrestler-turned-modern-day relic hunter Ric, along with his wife Rita and sons G and Nick, on the search for historic treasure buried in the backyards of unsuspecting citizens nationwide.

In the US, millions of historic relics, some of which have been untouched for centuries, lay buried in backyards and parking lots, waiting to be discovered and turned into profit. "Savage Family Diggers" features the Savage family trying to tap into those profits in a different city each week, including New Orleans, LA, Savannah, GA, Boston, MA, Miami, FL and Memphis, TN. Ric's vast knowledge of American History helps lead the team to properties, both residential and commercial, with the greatest potential for high value artifacts. After settling upon a potentially high yield location, the Savage family uses state-of-the-art metal detectors and the latest in ground penetrating radar technology to search for items, and, upon discovery, must convince reluctant property owners to let American Savage search and dig up their land using heavy-duty excavation equipment. The team sells any artifacts found for a substantial profit by consulting experts and scouring the antique and collectible markets, but not before negotiating a deal to divide the revenue with the property owners.

Throughout the season, items with great historical and cultural significance will be found, including a Rolex watch from 1908, a Civil War surgeon's field amputation kit, a TelePhoto Cycle Poco B camera from 1891, and a whaling lance from the mid 1800s.

American Savage, based in Mechanicsville, VA, is the top artifact recovery company in the country, digging as much as half a million dollars worth of historical artifacts out of US soil each year. The company includes Ric, the leader, his wife Rita, who manages the business, and their sons G and Nick, who provide tech support and are the "muscle" of the operation.

Born and raised in western North Carolina, Savage is a former professional wrestler-turned- artifact-recovery expert, hunting relics from America's past with the help of his all-star team at American Savage. "Heavy Metal" Ric Savage had a prolific seven year career in the sport, competing in nearly every wrestling organization, among them the WCW (World Championship Wrestling), the ECW (Extreme Championship Wrestling) and the NWA (National Wrestling Alliance). Following his retirement from professional wrestling in 1997, Savage returned to his other passion, the Civil War era, by getting his start in relic hunting. His first major find, a hunk of shrapnel he found at the site of the Battle of Cold Harbor, VA, prompted him to form American Savage and continue his pursuit of history and riches. Since its inception, American Savage has recovered a wide range of valuable items, including hundreds of Civil War bullets, dozens of Civil War artillery shell fragments, multiple Native American arrow and axe heads, a set of prehistoric shark teeth and a Civil War era beer bottle.

"Savage Family Diggers" is a 13 half-hour episode series created and produced by Gurney Productions ("Auction Hunters"), owned by Scott and Deirdre Gurney. Sharon Levy is Spike TV's Executive Vice President, Original Series, Tim Duffy is Senior Vice President of Original Series for Spike TV and Alex Eastburg, Vice President of Original Series for Spike TV, serves as executive in charge of production.

Spike TV is available in 98.7 million homes and is a division of Viacom Media Networks. A unit of Viacom (NASDAQ: VIA, VIAB), Viacom Media Networks is one of the world's leading creators of programming and content across all media platforms. Spike TV's Internet address is www.spike.com.