Discovery Communications Announces Formation of Animal Planet Media Enterprises and Acquisition of Petfinder.com and PetsIncredible

Discovery Communications Announces Formation of Animal Planet Media Enterprises and Acquisition of Petfinder.com and PetsIncredible

- Animal Planet Media Enterprises to Become Leading Provider of Pet Content, Information and Products and Services Across Multiple Platforms -

- Petfinder.com's Over 10,000 Shelter Members Gain Access to the Power of Discovery Communications -

SILVER SPRING, Md., Nov. 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Discovery Communications today announced the formation of a new integrated multiplatform business called Animal Planet Media Enterprises and the acquisition of two leading companies in the pet industry -- Petfinder.com and PetsIncredible. Well established among pet lovers, both businesses will expand the portfolio of services and content for the newly formed Animal Planet Media Enterprises. Petfinder.com is the #1 pet-related Web property globally that facilitates pet adoption and works through animal shelters and rescue groups across North America. PetsIncredible is a major producer and distributor of pet-training videos and includes Web service PetVideo.com. Both companies immediately will be integrated into Animal Planet Media Enterprises in a seamless transition for users and customers of both products and services.

Animal Planet Media Enterprises marks the first time animal lovers and pet owners will have access to a centralized online, television and mobile community for research tools, expert advice, local resources, customized products and services, do-it-yourself projects and user-generated and interactive content. The new business unit also includes the Animal Planet television network -- celebrating its 10th anniversary this year -- online assets including http://www.animalplanet.com/, the 24/7 broadband channel, Animal Planet Beyond, and other media platforms including a robust Video-on- Demand (VOD) service, mobile content and merchandise extensions.

"Animal Planet Media Enterprises will be the leader in providing a trusted community where consumers of all ages can enjoy the best content, products and services on pets and animals of all kinds," said John Hendricks, Founder and Chairman, Discovery Communications. "The depth and breadth of Animal Planet's reach across the country and its powerful status as a beloved and trusted brand will enable us to leverage our unparalleled animal video archive, expertise and resources across a range of high-growth media platforms."

Maureen Smith, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Animal Planet, will expand her duties to include leadership of Animal Planet Media Enterprises. Smith will continue to report to Billy Campbell, and Animal Planet Media Enterprises will operate as part of Discovery Networks U.S. a division of Discovery Communications.

"This acquisition and reorganization solidifies our place as the leading information provider for all things animal, with a primary focus on media and products for people and their pets," said Smith. "I'm thrilled to welcome the employees, passion and creativity of both PetFinder.com and PetsIncredible to the Animal Planet family."

With the acquisition of Petfinder.com and PetsIncredible, Animal Planet Media Enterprises will now have a portfolio of pet-centric platforms to service pet parents through out all stages of life with their pet(s) -- from the initial thought of adoption and selection of the right pet (Petfinder.com), to ensuring that the first few years together are as happy and rewarding as possible (PetsIncredible training videos), to celebrating a lifetime relationship with this special family member (animalplanet.com).

Animal Planet Media Enterprises will include the following:

Animal Planet Television Network: Celebrating its 10-year anniversary
this year, Animal Planet remains the only television network dedicated
exclusively to the connection between humans and animals and is
available in more than 89 million homes nationwide. The network brings
people of all ages together by tapping into a fundamental fascination
with animals through an array of fresh programming that includes humor,
competition, drama and spectacle from the animal kingdom. From specials
featuring world-renowned primatologist, Dr. Jane Goodall to the fresh
installments of the legendary MUTUAL OF OMAHA'S WILD KINGDOM and hit
series MEERKAT MANOR to the popular globe-trotting wildlife expertise of
THE JEFF CORWIN EXPERIENCE and CORWIN'S QUEST and the irresistible PUPPY
BOWL, Animal Planet is common ground for men and women, parents and
children to experience the magic of the animal kingdom together. The
network continues to grow in popularity with ratings in 3Q2006 among the
primary demographic of P25-54 up +8% in primetime and +14% in total day
over the prior year. This momentum continues in October 2006 with
viewership up +10% in prime and +15% in total day over the same time
period year ago.

Petfinder.com, founded in 1996 is the largest searchable database of
adoptable pets on the Web. Facilitating over 10 million adoptions in the
last 10 years and averaging over 120 million page views a month,
Petfinder.com visitors can currently "meet" nearly 230,000 adoptable
pets from over 10,000 animal shelters and rescue groups across the U.S.,
Canada and Mexico. The site also helps educate new adopters about pet
health, behavior and care through its resource library and discussion
forums. Petfinder.com uses the power of the Internet to increase public
awareness of the availability of adoptable pets and the effectiveness of
pet adoption programs across North America in order to eliminate the
euthanasia of adoptable pets. The company has 25 U.S.-based employees
and is based in Pittstown, New Jersey. Petfinder.com is free to both
visitors and to its animal placement organization members due to its
generous sponsors. Exclusive sponsors include BISSELL Homecare, Inc., a
manufacturer of home cleaning and floor care products, PETCO, a national
pet supply retailer that sponsors in-store adoptions and provides coupon
books for new adopters, The Animal Rescue Site, and Merial, maker of the
number one veterinary-recommended flea and tick preventative
FRONTLINE(R), and heartworm preventative HEARTGARD(R). All sponsors will
remain intact under the new ownership. Betsy Saul, petfinder.com's
president and co-founder will report to Maureen Smith under Animal
Planet Media Enterprises.

PetsIncredible enhances the relationship of families and their pets by
providing simple and easy to use pet-friendly training techniques to
address the most common behavior issues. Distributed on DVD via
shelters, veterinarian offices, and directly to consumers,
PetsIncredible's easy-to-follow, positive reinforcement training
program, helps integrate new pets into the family and reduce shelter
adoption returns. In addition, Petvideo.com, launched in partnership
with Petfinder.com this summer, is an interactive broadband video
service featuring 200 quick and easy training videos, user generated
content and videos of adoptable shelter pets. PetsIncredible is based
in Tampa, Florida with 11 employees and was founded by Sam Means,
president and CEO who will remain on as a consultant while co-founder
Eric Theis, will act as Senior Vice President reporting to Maureen
Smith.

Animal Planet Online: Animalplanet.com will be the ultimate resource for
all things animal with an emphasis on life with pets. The pet-centric
content features resources for pet health/well-being, pet lifestyle
content such as pet trends, pet travel and do-it-yourself information as
well as expert articles, games, interactive quizzes. In addition, the
site includes Animal Planet Beyond, which launched in May 2006 as a 24/7
broadband channel featuring Discovery Network's first original web
series, PET TRENDS WITH MAGGIE GALLANT, which follows the duo of Maggie
Gallant, Animal Planet's Pet Trend Correspondent, and Dixie, her
chocolate mini-dachshund, as they hit the road to seek out the most
intriguing and fashionable pet trends of today. Animal Planet Beyond
also features rich content extensions for Animal Planet's most popular
shows, such as MEERKAT MANOR, ANIMAL COPS, BACKYARD HABITAT, and PET
STAR.

Animal Planet Commerce: Leveraging the network's brand popularity,
Animal Planet Commerce will aggressively pursue additional partnerships
for new products that bring consumers even more opportunities to
interact with Animal Planet off the television screen. The keystones of
the program include the long-term partnership with Toys 'R Us featuring
Animal Planet's private label toy branded sections in all U.S. Toys 'R
Us stores, and a new partnership with Kaytee to bring Animal Planet
small-pet products exclusively to all 1400 U.S. Target stores. Animal
Planet also plans to broaden its branded product offering into new
categories, strengthen its existing publishing and home video efforts,
and increase its line of pet care products.

Discovery Communications, Inc. is the leading global real-world media company with operations in 170 countries and territories reaching 1.4 billion cumulative subscribers. DCI's over 100 networks of distinctive programming represent 29 trusted brands including Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. DCI's other properties consist of Discovery Education and COSMEO, a revolutionary online homework help service, as well as Discovery Commerce, which operates more than 100 Discovery Channel Stores in the U.S. Discovery brings the real world to the whole world through its global multiplatform initiatives including Discovery Travel Media, Discovery Mobile and multiple broadband services. DCI's ownership consists of four shareholders: Discovery Holding Company (NASDAQ:DISCA)(NASDAQ:DISCB), Cox Communications, Inc., Advance/Newhouse Communications and John S. Hendricks, the Company's Founder and Chairman. More information about Discovery and its businesses can be found at http://www.discovery.com/.

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Discovery Communications, Inc.

CONTACT: Patricia Kollappallil, +1-240-662-2969,
Patricia_Kollappallil@discovery.com, or Brian Eley, +1-240-662-2957,
Brian_Eley@discovery.com, both of Discovery Communications, Inc.

Web site: http://www.discovery.com/

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