I'm a little torn because I am spending some leisure time reading English. It's about the same as I did in Japan, but I was surrounded by Japanese writing there. Some of the reading is valid: school prep, etc.; some is just a diversion: politics, news.
My parents generation got the news every night between 7:00 and 7:30. Was that enough? Today we have more news resources at our disposal; we can probably get a much fuller perspective in a half hour a day. Through the use of RSS and other internet resources we don't have to depend on network news, or cable news, which is worse in many ways. Who considers Wolf Blitzer a competent journalist? How such a vapid, vacant guy is given such air time boggles my mind.
Anyway, I have a pretty heavy 1kyuu study schedule, so that will balance out the time a little. And I will monitor the time I spend reading the news (in English) and other frivolity.