I agree as well. I would be thrilled if CBC-TV followed the PBS model: private contributions, no commercials (only at the beginning / end of a program), and a focus on documentaries, news, kids' shows ("
Homework Hotline" gives me hope for the next generation), and
DIY stuff. The key for PBS's donations is no commercials and that it mentions, at the beginning of every program, that it's "made possible by viewers like you."
Of course, the main difference is that the US has 10 times the number of potential donors than Canada.
Okay, so here's my 2 cents on improving CBC-TV: Follow the PBS model described above, but scale it down. Start with having canadian equivalents for "Frontline" and "The Newshour". The rest can be the best stuff that the National Film Board has to offer. Maybe throw in a couple DIY shows on the cheap. Build it up from there.
In sum, I'd donate a decent amount if the CBC tried to become the canadian version of PBS. PBS rocks!