i'd guess that there's more people being exposed to dubstep than ever surely?
Most definitely. I went to the Beats, Breaks and Culture festival at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto over the weekend, headlined by Rakim, and ended up in the Dubstep Tent, headlined by Datsik. If it wasn't weird enough that Dubstep was given its own exclusive tent, it was definitely weird being a minority in favour of a horde of underaged, neon-dreaded, malnourished teenagers all on what appeared to be their first ever hit of ecstasy.
This new, much larger crowd constitute the greatest demand for the music, and therefore dictate the supply. It's unfortunate that the new supply of Dubstep music is one whose sound has stagnated, whose roots have been all but obscured and forgotten, and whose future looks very grim indeed. As prophesied by so many people, it has indeed become the new drum and bass and as such is fated to the same (un)death.
I am speaking entirely from the overseas perspective here, which as far as I can tell is basically all of the homeland problems, but ampified and even more disconnected from its source. I am weary, and ready for something new.