Regarding the aspect of this thread which affects the ET, I agree that hosting for a smaller player base with limited participation is not that thrilling for some ET's, but personally, I have no problems about hosting for more or for less players (though my minimum to start is at least 6 players on blue). For this summer I try to consistently host everyday at least once (wish I could host more but I have a strenuous summer job). Yes, it is indeed fantastic that Emperor is helping us out, but that you might say can be a temporary fix, while Mike is on his vacation, and the other ET's are taking personal time or are somewhat busy (this last sentence can be a reiteration of Linzor's 1st paragraph in his reply).
It is disappointing to hear about this, but I hope it's because of not having enough time that the person(s) chose not to host. Then again this piece I wish to look into.
I won't discuss about the GM suggestions since its not my department, nor the telemarketing aspects of this thread.