I certainly hope there is a correlation.
Congregations have almost universally invested a significant amount of money in digital projectors and screens to accommodate the narcissism of the GB, and their direct communication into the congregations does not sit well with their claim to be faithful and discreet. At the same time as their encroaching upon the congregations in this manner, the frequency of mentioning financing and contributions has increased. Prior to these changes, the matter of contributing was mentioned once per year in the Watchtower magazine. This repetitive focus on contributing (magazines, letters, videos, and now also the meeting workbook) makes folks uncomfortable.
I have never as yet sat through one of these GB broadcasts. However, those who do sit through them tend not to make it a talking point. There silence on the broadcast is almost bellowing! I believe that the GB's encroachment into the congregations is entirely counterproductive in terms of attendances (especially mid-week) which attendances the GB has for years wanted to improve.
Additionally, the quality of writing in the Watchtower magazine is truly truly appalling. My wife's friend attended a weekend meeting recently. Her attendance coincided with a Watchtower study with the contents being focused on disdain of the world, being careful of one's associations, and marrying only JW's. I could tell that this exclusivity and paranoia was making my wife's friend uncomfortable. In that the emphasis on control is now so repetitive, it is becoming quite tiresome and it is increasingly easy to just switch off from attending. The number of unoccupied seats is more obvious nowadays. So both the broadcasts, emphasis on money, and the awful quality of writing may be dampening attendance.
