Should you be able to skip commercials on programs recorded on your DVR?

Your first instinct may be to say "of course stupid!", but just hold on a second!
No one hates commercials more than me, but as I skip past them in glee this class has forced me to consider the purpose of the ads and that the revenue they generate pays for the free shows that I enjoy so much.

Is it too much to ask for hours of great, free programming that you have to view a few minutes of ads per hour? Ok, maybe it's more like 15 minutes of ads per hour, which is a lot in my view, but what is the acceptable trade off?

I love free just as much as the next person, but as they say "there's no such think as a free lunch!"