Don’t forget. Before my group made the AMATs changes it was a directed traffic service and the pilot was told when to change frequency and the frequency to change to.
You forget the DTI was only to IFR (which still mostly happens now anyway), and frequency change instructions were only given to VFR who chose to operate full reporting. It wasn't the claustrophobic overservicing and molly-coddling that you continually imply it was.