I don't think it is as hard as some make it out to be, but it's definately not easy either. I've been working towards my own show fora couple of years and finally managed to get 6 episodes together for our local fox affiliate this spring. The show aired here in in the Bowling Green, Ky area as well as parts of MN, IA, and WI on the fox affiliate out of Rochester MN. I ended up spending around $15,000 on eqiupment, airtime, and editing. That doesn't include travel expenses, licenses, etc... I recouped most of the editing expense and airtime cost, but not all of it. I don't own half the equipment RD/OPC mentioned. I paid a local guy to edit the content for me and had a few buddies that helped provide footage. I've been filming for about 3 years now and have quite a stock pile of footage. We're working on our next season now and plan to produce 13 episodes with hopes of getting those shows on the MAN channel. We're putting a little more effort into some graphics, but for the most part, the show is remaining very similar to the first season. I think a guy with a good camera and a desire to succeed can go a long way. I have a wireless mic, and a shotgun mic, nice tripod and tree arm. Thats about it. I rarely use anything other than the factory mic on my camera. I'm a hunter first and producer/camera man second! I'm a regular guy that enjoys filming hunts and thought people wanted to see others like themselves on T.V. I can promise you that you will not get financial sponsor money before proving yourself. Some small companies will give you free merchandise but that doesn't pay the bills. I targeted local companies in a local market to cover my expenses. I'll learn the ropes here locally and grow my audience as my experience grows. If anyone is really serious about starting a show, contact me and I'll tell you what I've learned, bt be prepared to work hard for no money for a long time!!!!!
BTW, if you haven't seen my show, here are the links to all 6 episodes online.
http://www.theaverageoutdoorsman.com/episode-1.html
http://www.theaverageoutdoorsman.com/episode-2.html
http://www.theaverageoutdoorsman.com/episode-3.html
http://www.theaverageoutdoorsman.com/episode-4.html
http://www.theaverageoutdoorsman.com/episode-5.html
http://www.theaverageoutdoorsman.com/episode-6.html