TENSION HEATS UP FOR TREASURE SEEKERS IN DISCOVERY'S HIT SERIES "BERING SEA GOLD" RETURNING ON FRIDAY, DECEMBER 13

(Los Angeles, Calif.) - The summer dredging season is in full swing and a modern day gold rush hits Nome, Alaska, as fortune seekers from all walks of life race for the gold. The real challenge is finding it - deep at the bottom of the frigid and unpredictable Bering Sea. However, one thing is certain: the ambitious crews will stop at nothing to get to it first. From Thom Beers' Original Productions, creators of the Emmy Award-winning DEADLIEST CATCH, the third season of BERING SEA GOLD returns Friday, December 13 at 10 PM E/P on the Discovery Channel.

This past winter season proved to be a bust for nearly every crew - making the stakes even higher and pitting former best friends against each other with tempers flaring. It is also a season of change with Emily Riedel becoming Nome's first and only female dredge owner commanding The Eroica (formerly The Edge, run by her ex- love interest Zeke Tenhoff). Will Emily be able to handle the pressure and get on the gold? Or will her crew bail? Meanwhile, Steve and Shawn Pomerenke set out with Nome's biggest dredge -- The Christine Rose -- to continue their dominance over the fleet but soon realize there is new competition in town, a mega dredge named the Gold Grabber run by rookie owner Hank Schimschat. This year's crews include:

· Christine Rose: Headed by co-owners Shawn and Steve Pomrenke, this father and son team is the most successful operation in Nome. This season, Shawn will face off against a rival from another boat. But will he handle the new competition or will the rivalry blow up in his face?

· Wild Ranger: Over the past two seasons, Vernon Adkinson has tried to make a profit in the gold mining business and leveraged everything he has. After little luck last winter, Vernon bought access to a claim two miles off of Nome. Having experienced Nome's unpredictable summer weather, Vernon has a plan to beat it: dredge off of the mystic Sledge Island, which is supposedly rich with gold.

· Eroica: Formerly the Edge, Emily Riedel steps it up as a leader. After her fallout with her on-again, off-again boyfriend, Zeke Tenhoff, and a disappointing winter season with her father, Emily is ready to take charge. The past two seasons have seen Emily flounder as a greenhorn and exposed her fear of diving. However, she is putting her opera aspirations on hold once again. Her plan for the Eroica is to dredge 24/7 with four divers and two tenderers. Nome's first and only female dredge owner is hoping for an extremely profitable season so she can pay off her new equipment and save for her big opera ambitions.

· Clark: Zeke Tenhoff has been dredging gold during the summer for the last six years. This season, Zeke is hoping to put it all behind him, having battled and fired his former love interest Emily, and still coping with the tragic loss of his best friend and partner, John Bunce. Zeke is searching for more than just gold this season.

· Minnow: This past winter was a bust for Steve Riedel -- much like his other seasons. But he's hoping for a change with his new dredge, The Minnow. Steve's true nemesis in Nome is Scott Meisterheim. The two have clashed constantly, resulting in firings and restraining orders. But will they be able to steer clear of each other in the tiny town of Nome?

· Gold Grabber: With his investors and debtors hounding him for money, Scott Meisterheim had to get it together this past winter, but ultimately, he failed. As a former captain, Scott must learn how to take orders instead of give them working as a deckhand for Hank Schimschat on Nome's biggest dredge. With his drinking issues and tendency to blame others rather than take responsibility, Scott can be his own worst enemy.

BERING SEA GOLD reveals the real-life dangers of a job with no typical day at the office. As each day passes, the ambitious fortune seekers have only one option: find the gold before debt takes hold.

BERING SEA GOLD is produced for Discovery Channel by Original Productions, a Fremantle Media company. For Original Productions, executive producers are Thom Beers, Philip D. Segal, Jeff Conroy and John Gray, and Series Producer is Sean Dash. For Discovery Channel, Executive Producer is David Pritikin.

About Discovery Channel

Discovery Channel is dedicated to creating the highest quality non-fiction content that informs and entertains its consumers about the world in all its wonder, diversity and amazement. The network, which is distributed to 100.8 million U.S. homes, can be seen in 210 countries and territories, offering a signature mix of compelling, high-end production values and vivid cinematography across genres including, science and technology, exploration, adventure, history and in-depth, behind-the-scenes glimpses at the people, places and organizations that shape and share our world. For more information, please visit www.discovery.com.

About Discovery Communications

Discovery Communications (Nasdaq: DISCA, DISCB, DISCK) is the world's #1 nonfiction media company reaching more than 1.8 billion cumulative subscribers in 209 countries and territories. Discovery is dedicated to satisfying curiosity through 149 worldwide television networks, led by Discovery Channel, TLC, Animal Planet, Science and Investigation Discovery, as well as U.S. joint venture networks OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network, The Hub and 3net, the first 24-hour 3D network. Discovery also is a leading provider of educational products and services to schools and owns and operates a diversified portfolio of digital media services, including Revision3. For more information, please visit www.discoverycommunications.com.