Another kind of short report used is the CNN Headline-style group of very short (one or two sentence) summaries of current international situations. Earth Matters has a similar group of short reports called The Reel. These are useful for gist viewing. The task of identifying the general news stories on one playing and then identifying specifically what new developments are being reported in a second and third playing can be a very satisfying experience in itself and need only take fifteen or twenty minutes of class time.
Commercials can be used in a number of ways. I have found that playing them without the picture (remove the yellow cord at the rear of the TV set) two or three times and having students listen for what the product is, and then playing it again with the picture for students to confirm their answers works well.