It's not a change. Sure: there's the usual chronic confusion and folklore about the rules, caused by too much poorly implemented 'reform'.
People who think there's lots of "aircraft chat" on area frequencies obviously don't spend too much time listening to area frequencies.
Can someone nominate a busy airstrip that's not marked on any WAC, VNC or VTC, from which all this disruptive, 747 mid-air collision causing chit-chat will be emanating?