This has not been mentioned from the pulpit. However, the Maronites observe fasting on Wednesday and Friday throughout the year, though I tend to think they prefer to follow the norms established by the USCCB for their Latin cousins :-).
Has the Byzantine Church recommended fasting for Advent?
"Has the Byzantine Church recommended fasting for Advent?"
Yes. Simple fast (no meat) on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday with a strict fast on Christmas Eve.
WRT fasting, I don't think we're approaching the ideal practiced by our Orthodox bretheren on Mount Athos, but we're not following the USCCB norm either.
Kolokotronis was kind enough to recommend a title on fasting, and I plan to read it sometime in the not too distant future.