As filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on December 12, 2008

Registration No. 333-        

 

 

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM S-8

REGISTRATION STATEMENT
UNDER
THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933

Discovery Communications, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Its Charter)

Delaware (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation or Organization)		One Discovery Place Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 (240) 662-2000 (Address of Principal Executive Offices and Zip Code)		35-2333914 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

Discovery Holding Company Transitional Stock Adjustment Plan
(As Assumed by Discovery Communications, Inc.)
(Full title of plan)

		Copy to:
Joseph A. LaSala, Jr. Discovery Communications, Inc. One Discovery Place Silver Spring, Maryland 20910 (240) 662-2000 (Name, address, including zip code, and telephone number, including area code, of agent for service)		Robert W. Murray Jr. Esq. Renee L. Wilm Esq. Baker Botts L.L.P. 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, New York 10112 (212) 408-2500

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer þ		Accelerated filer o		Non-accelerated filer o		Smaller reporting company o
				(Do not check if a smaller reporting company)

CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

Proposed

Proposed

Maximum

Maximum

Amount of

Amount to be

Offering Price

Aggregate

Registration Fee

Title of Each Class of Securities to be Registered

Registered (1)

per Share (2)

Offering Price

(2)

Series A Common Stock, par value $.01 per share

1,548,644

$13.13

$39,784,665

$1,563.54

Series C Common Stock, par value $.01 per share

1,548,644

$12.56

 

 

PART I
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE SECTION 10(a) PROSPECTUS

          Note: The document(s) containing the employee benefit plan information required by Item 1 of Part I of this Form and the statement of availability of registrant information and other information required by Item 2 of Part I of this Form will be sent or given to participants as specified by Rule 428 under the Securities Act. In accordance with Rule 428 under the Securities Act and the requirements of Part I of Form S-8, such documents are not being filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “Commission”) either as part of this Registration Statement or as prospectuses or prospectus supplements pursuant to Rule 424 under the Securities Act. Discovery Communications, Inc. (“Discovery” or the “Company”) will maintain a file of such documents in accordance with the provisions of Rule 428 under the Securities Act. Upon request, the Company will furnish to the Commission or its staff a copy or copies of all the documents included in such file.

PART II
INFORMATION REQUIRED IN THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT

Item 3. Incorporation of Documents by Reference.

          The following documents, previously filed with the Commission by the Company pursuant to the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), as applicable, are incorporated herein by reference.

          (i) The Company’s Registration Statement on Form S-4 (File No. 333-151586), originally filed with the Commission on June 11, 2008, as amended by Amendment No. 1, as filed on July 18, 2008, Amendment No. 2, as filed on August 1, 2008 and Amendment No. 3, as filed on August 6, 2008 and effective on August 7, 2008;

          (ii) The following Current Reports on Form 8-K: Items 8.01 and 9.01 filed on September 18, 2008, Items 2.01, 4.01, 5.02, 5.05, 8.01 and 9.01 filed on September 23, 2008, as amended on November 26, 2008, Items 5.02 and 9.01 filed on October 7, 2008, Items 8.01 and 9.01 filed on October 16, 2008, Item 5.02 filed on November 13, 2008, and Items 1.01, 3.03 and 9.01 filed on December 11, 2008; and

          (iii) The description of the Company’s Series A common stock, par value $.01 per share, the Company’s Series B common stock, par value $.01 per share and the Company’s Series C common stock, par value $.01 per share, contained in the Company’s Form 8-A filed under the Exchange Act on September 12, 2008, and any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

          All documents subsequently filed by the Company with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act (other than any report or portion thereof furnished or deemed furnished under any Current Report on Form 8-K) prior to the filing of a post-effective amendment to this Registration Statement which indicates that all securities offered have been sold or which deregisters all securities then remaining unsold, shall be deemed to be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement and made a part hereof from their respective dates of filing (such documents, and the documents enumerated above, being hereinafter referred to as “Incorporated Documents”); provided, however, that the documents enumerated above or subsequently filed by Discovery pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 and 15(d) of the Exchange Act in each year during which the offering made by this Registration Statement is in effect prior to the filing with the Commission of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K covering such year shall not be Incorporated Documents or be incorporated by reference in this Registration Statement or be a part hereof from and after the filing of such Annual Report on Form 10-K.

          Any statement contained in this Registration Statement, in an amendment hereto or in an Incorporated Document shall be deemed to be modified or superseded for purposes of this Registration Statement to the extent that a statement contained herein or in any subsequently filed amendment to this Registration Statement or in any subsequent Incorporated Document modifies or supersedes such statement. Any statement so modified or superseded shall not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this Registration Statement.

Item 4. Description of Securities.

          Not applicable.

Item 5. Interests of Named Experts and Counsel.

          Not applicable.

Item 6. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

          Section 145 of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) provides, generally, that a corporation shall have the power to indemnify any person who was or is a party or is threatened to be made a party to any threatened, pending or completed action, suit or proceeding (except actions by or in the right of the corporation) by reason of the fact that such person is or was a director, officer, employee or agent of the corporation against all expenses (including attorneys’ fees), judgments, fines and amounts paid in settlement actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with such action, suit or proceeding if such person acted in good faith and in a manner such person reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation and, with respect to any criminal action or proceeding, had no reasonable cause to believe his or her conduct was unlawful. A corporation may similarly indemnify such person for expenses (including attorneys’ fees) actually and reasonably incurred by such person in connection with the defense or settlement of any such action or suit by or in the right of the corporation, provided that such person acted in good faith and in a manner he or she reasonably believed to be in or not opposed to the best interests of the corporation, and, in the case of claims, issues and matters as to which such person shall have been adjudged liable to the corporation, provided that a court shall have determined, upon application, that, despite the adjudication of liability but in view of all of the circumstances of the case, such person is fairly and reasonably entitled to indemnity for such expenses which such court shall deem proper.

          Section 102(b)(7) of the DGCL provides, generally, that the certificate of incorporation may contain a provision eliminating or limiting the personal liability of a director to the corporation or its shareholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director, provided that such provision may not eliminate or limit the liability of a director (i) for any breach of the director’s duty of loyalty to the corporation or its shareholders, (ii) for acts or omissions not in good faith or which involve intentional misconduct or a knowing violation of law, (iii) under section 174 of Title 8 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, or (iv) for any transaction from which the director derived an improper personal benefit. No such provision may eliminate or limit the liability of a director for any act or omission occurring prior to the date when such provision became effective.

          Article V, Section E of the Restated Certificate of Incorporation (the “Charter”) of the Company provides as follows:

1. Limitation On Liability. To the fullest extent permitted by the DGCL as the same exists or may hereafter be amended, a director of the Corporation shall not be liable to the Corporation or any of its stockholders for monetary damages for breach of fiduciary duty as a director. Any amendment, repeal or modification of this Article V, Section E.1 shall be prospective only and shall not adversely affect any limitation, right or protection of a director of the Corporation existing at the time of such amendment, repeal or modification.

2.

Indemnification.

a) Right to Indemnification. The Corporation shall indemnify and hold harmless, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists or may hereafter be amended, any person who was or is made or is threatened to be made a party or is otherwise involved in any action, suit or proceeding, whether civil, criminal, administrative or investigative (a “proceeding”) by reason of the fact that he, or a person for whom he is the legal representative, is or was a director or officer of the Corporation or while a director or officer of the Corporation is or was serving at the request of the Corporation as a director, officer, employee, representative or agent of another corporation or of a partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity, including service with respect to employee benefit plans, against all liability and loss suffered and expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by such person. Such right of indemnification shall inure whether or not the claim asserted is based on matters that antedate the adoption of this Article V, Section E. The Corporation shall be required to indemnify or make advances to a person in connection with a proceeding (or part thereof) initiated by such person only if the proceeding (or part thereof) was authorized by the Board of Directors of the Corporation.

b) Prepayment of Expenses. The Corporation shall pay the expenses (including attorneys’ fees) incurred by a director or officer in defending any proceeding in advance of its final disposition; provided, however, that the payment of expenses incurred by a director or officer in advance of the final disposition of the proceeding shall be made only upon receipt of an undertaking by the director or officer to repay all amounts advanced if it should be ultimately determined that the director or officer is not entitled to be indemnified under this Section or otherwise.

c) Claims. If a claim for indemnification or payment of expenses under this Section is not paid in full within 30 days after a written claim therefor has been received by the Corporation, the claimant may file suit to recover the unpaid amount of such claim and, to the extent permitted by law, shall be entitled to be paid the expense of prosecuting such claim. In any such action the Corporation shall have the burden of proving that the claimant was not entitled to the requested indemnification or payment of expenses under applicable law.

d) Non-Exclusivity of Rights. The rights conferred on any person by this Section shall not be exclusive of any other rights which such person may have or hereafter acquire under any statute, provision of this Restated Certificate, the Bylaws, agreement, vote of stockholders or resolution of disinterested directors or otherwise.

e) Insurance. The Board of Directors may, to the full extent permitted by applicable law as it presently exists, or may hereafter be amended from time to time, authorize an appropriate officer or officers to purchase and maintain at the Corporation’s expense insurance: (i) to indemnify the Corporation for any obligation which it incurs as a result of the indemnification of directors and officers under the provisions of this Article V, Section E; and (ii) to indemnify or insure directors and officers against liability in instances in which they may not otherwise be indemnified by the Corporation under the provisions of this Article V, Section E.

f) Other Indemnification. The Corporation’s obligation, if any, to indemnify any person who was or is serving at its request as a director, officer, employee or agent of another corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity shall be reduced by any amount such person may collect as indemnification from such other corporation, partnership, joint venture, limited liability company, trust, enterprise or nonprofit entity.

3. Amendment or Repeal. Any amendment, modification or repeal of the foregoing provisions of this Article V, Section E shall not adversely affect any right or protection hereunder of any person in respect of any act or omission occurring prior to the time of such amendment, modification or repeal.

Item 7. Exemption From Registration Claimed.

          Not applicable.

Item 8. Exhibits.

Exhibit No.		Description
4.1		Form of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Amendment No. 2 to Form S-4 on Form S-4/A of the Company (File No. 333-151586), filed with the Commission on August 1, 2008 (the “Amendment No. 2”)).
4.2		Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4, of the Company (File No. 333-151586) filed with the Commission on June 11, 2008 (the “S-4 Registration Statement”)).

Exhibit No.		Description
4.3		Specimen certificate for shares of the Company’s Series A common stock, par value $.01 per share (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the S-4 Registration Statement).
4.4		Specimen certificate for shares of the Company’s Series C common stock, par value $.01 per share (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the S-4 Registration Statement).
4.5		Discovery Holding Company Transitional Stock Adjustment Plan (As Assumed by Discovery Communications, Inc.).
5.1		Opinion of Baker Botts L.L.P. as to the legality of the securities being registered.
23.1		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
23.2		Consent of KPMG LLP.
23.3		Consent of Baker Botts L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1		Power of Attorney (included on page 7).

Item 9. Undertakings.

     (a) The Company hereby undertakes:

               (1) To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

                    (i) To include any prospectus required by Section 10(a)(3) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended;

                    (ii) To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement;

                    (iii) To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

                    provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i) and (a)(1)(ii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in reports filed with or furnished to the Commission by the Company pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 that are incorporated by reference in this registration statement.

               (2) That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

               (3) To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

          (b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act of 1933, each filing of the Company’s annual report pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (and, where applicable, each filing of an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934), that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein and the offering of such securities at the time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering hereof.

          (c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act of 1933 may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the Company pursuant to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Company has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the Company of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the Company in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Company will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

SIGNATURES

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Company certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements for filing on Form S-8 and has duly caused this Registration Statement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto, duly authorized, in the City of Silver Spring, State of Maryland, on December 12, 2008.

		DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS, INC.
		By: Name:		/s/ Joseph A. LaSala, Jr.   Joseph A. LaSala, Jr.
		Title:		Senior Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

POWER OF ATTORNEY

          KNOW ALL MEN BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints Joseph A. LaSala, Jr. and Bradley E. Singer and each of them, his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents with full power of substitution and re-substitution for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign and file any or all amendments (including post-effective amendments) to this registration statement, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents and each of them full power and authority, to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite or necessary to be done in and about the premises, to all intents and purposes and as fully as they might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents or their substitutes may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

          Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this registration statement has been signed by the following persons (which persons constitute a majority of the Board of Directors) in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

Signature		Title		Date
/s/ John S. Hendricks   John S. Hendricks		Chairman of the Board and Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ David M. Zaslav   David M. Zaslav		President, Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer) and Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ Bradley E. Singer   Bradley E. Singer		Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (Principal Financial Officer)		December 12, 2008
/s/ Thomas Colan   Thomas Colan		Executive Vice President, Chief Accounting Officer (Principal Accounting Officer)		December 12, 2008
John C. Malone		Director
Robert R. Bennett		Director
/s/ Paul A. Gould   Paul A. Gould		Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ M. LaVoy Robison   M. LaVoy Robison		Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ J. David Wargo   J. David Wargo		Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ Robert R. Beck   Robert R. Beck		Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ Robert J. Miron   Robert J. Miron		Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ Steven A. Miron   Steven A. Miron		Director		December 12, 2008
/s/ Lawrence S. Kramer   Lawrence S. Kramer		Director		December 12, 2008

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit No.		Description
4.1		Form of Restated Certificate of Incorporation of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to Amendment No. 2 to Form S-4 on Form S-4/A of the Company (File No. 333-151586), filed with the Commission on August 1, 2008 (the “Amendment No. 2”)).
4.2		Bylaws of the Company (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 to the Registration Statement on Form S-4, of the Company (File No. 333-151586) filed with the Commission on June 11, 2008 (the “S-4 Registration Statement”)).
4.3		Specimen certificate for shares of the Company’s Series A common stock, par value $.01 per share (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to the S-4 Registration Statement).
4.4		Specimen certificate for shares of the Company’s Series C common stock, par value $.01 per share (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.3 to the S-4 Registration Statement).
4.5		Discovery Holding Company Transitional Stock Adjustment Plan (As Assumed by Discovery Communications, Inc.).
5.1		Opinion of Baker Botts L.L.P. as to the legality of the securities being registered.
23.1		Consent of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP.
23.2		Consent of KPMG LLP.
23.3		Consent of Baker Botts L.L.P. (included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1		Power of Attorney (included on page 7).