SILVER SPRING, MD — After a long and arduous process of blood typing, insurance verification and wetsuit fittings, Discovery Channel today announced the appointment of its first ever Chief Shark Officer (CSO), Andy Samberg.

As CSO, Samberg will host the network's 24th annual "Shark Week" celebration, cable's longest running programming event and the official mark of summer. He will film on-air wraps for the weeklong event, host a "Shark Week" special and may even take the plunge and dive with the apex predators.

"Shark Week is a summertime celebration. It's about being scared out of your swim trunks but it's also about being entertained and learning something new. Andy Samberg, an incredibly talented comedian and innovator, is the perfect person to bring those elements together and represent Discovery for our biggest week of the year," said Discovery Channel President and General Manager Clark Bunting.

Said Samberg: "I'm overjoyed about being appointed CSO. Everyone loves Shark Week. It's the Bill Cosby of week-long television blocks dedicated to sea animals."

"Shark Week" is bigger than ever - it was watched by almost 31 million people last year, Discovery's highest rated to date. The event has become a pop culture phenomenon. In the immortal words of 30 Rock's Tracy Morgan: "Live every week like it's Shark Week."