A suggestion I would like to make to channels seeing this dropoff.
I like to browse and find videos of interest. But what if these channels were to make a single stream based on aggregated random old content that had generated interest, that people could leave running? I don’t view things this way, but some viewers leave a stream running in the background to capture current events (examples: France24 and DW, for Euro-centric news…) Those channels would not then be relying on a new video release showing up in youtube’s feed -they can count on a portion of their audience tuning in.
Perhaps a program format that multiple channels could collaborate on: Secular Talk for an hour, Breaking Points for another hour, Dollemore, Farron Balance, Kim Iverson, Katie Phang, Meidas, LegalAF… (oh, yes: and Turks, Bitchuation Room,…) The only thing that should be enforced is that a video submitted to this stream is NOT to involve hardcore sniping on another channel in a cheap attempt to get more views on the backs of a popular channel (such a channel that has a video that does that is welcome to continue to sell it on their own channels…) To simplify enforcement of that, the rule could be that no channel submitted to this stream can mention another stream by name (again, they can mention other streams on their own channels…) or by issuing heavy-handed hints as to who they are referring to, The stream could even have a scheduled program guide on its channel page, so users could set an alarm to tune in to shows of interest, if they like. And if the schedule has links to the shows and you want to watch them now, you could always click on them. So the creators can still choose to list what they want people to watch ASAP in this schedule context. Listings can be chosen by a creator, and if they go MIA one can be chosen at random for each day.
The channel could even be mirrored at a peertube hoster and fronted by an [international] vanity domain, to reduce the possibility of youtube/the feds screwing around with it…
