He issued an apology on his Web site, sat down with TV talk show hosts Barbara Walters and
Rosie O’Donnell and asked NBC to let him out of his “30 Rock” contract to devote time to the issue of “parental alienation.”

On Friday, attorneys for Baldwin and his ex-wife Kim Basinger will appear in court for the first time since the tape leaked out as part of the actors’ bitter, protracted custody dispute over Ireland. The couple divorced in 2002.

In the telephone message, Baldwin, 49, can be heard berating Ireland as a “rude, thoughtless little pig,” for missing his call. A tape of the message was obtained by celebrity Web site TMZ.com and broadcast worldwide.

The actor blamed his former wife for leaking the tape, which she denied. He also has suggested his comments were meant for Basinger, 53, not their daughter.

The tape is only the latest issue in the custody dispute.

In October, Superior Court Commissioner Maren Nelson denied a motion by Basinger’s attorney to dismiss 12 misdemeanor counts of contempt against the actress. Basinger, who has pleaded not guilty, is accused of failing to heed court orders in the case.

She faces up to 60 days in jail and a $12,000 fine if convicted of all counts.

In November 2005, Baldwin and Basinger traded accusations of emotional instability as they argued over their rights to telephone and e-mail time with Ireland.

A separate hearing is scheduled for June 5 about the leaked tape. Baldwin’s attorney, Vicki Greene, said in a court filing that the public disclosure of the tape violated a court order to keep the proceedings confidential.

Alec Baldwin will apologize for calling his daughter a pig, via a televised recorded message.

The “The Departed” star – who left 11-year-old daughter Ireland an angry voicemail when she failed to take his call last week – has said sorry in a taped message to air on US chat show “The View” on Friday (April 27, 2007).

Baldwin says in the recording: “Obviously calling your child a pig or anything else is improper and inappropriate and I apologize to my daughter for that. There’s nothing wrong with being frustrated or angry about the situation.”

“It’s the way you do it, and as people often do in this world, I took it out on the wrong person. In my own case, with this message, I had never done this before in my life.”

The 46-year-old – whose ex-wife Kim Basinger claims the message is not an isolated incident – also said he wants to quit acting to focus on parenthood.

Baldwin is currently starring as Jack Donaghy in NBC series “30 Rock” – a role which won him a Golden Globe this year and for which he is tipped for Emmy success as well.

He said: “If I never acted again I couldn’t care less. I would like to devote myself to the cause of parental alienation.”

The series has been commissioned for a second season and is unlikely to continue without Baldwin.

Baldwin was so moved by a March 4 New York Times story about Pvt. Resha Kane’s last day with family and friends before going for training to prepare for serving in Iraq that he — not his people — tracked down Kane’s mother at a discount store where she works to offer his assistance, his spokesman said.

“I didn’t know what to say,” said Patricia Kane, Resha Kane’s mother. “And then I asked him if he could send me his autograph. I’ve never met a star, let alone talked to one on the phone.”

Baldwin, who appeared in “Glengarry Glen Ross” and “The Departed” and most recently won a Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild award for his performance in the weekly NBC comedy “30 Rock,” was vacationing in London and could not be reached for comment.

Baldwin’s spokesman, Matthew Hiltzik, said when Baldwin read the Times article, it made him think of his own daughter, 11-year-old Ireland.

Hiltzik said the actor would meet the Kane family in Mohave Valley and give them a check, which will be in addition to the $37,000 the Army will give Kane for college. A date for the meeting will be decided next week, he said.

Although Baldwin, 48, has been a vocal critic against the war in Iraq, Hiltzik said supporting the troops who are fighting there is important to the actor.

“He himself tried to find the family, and he was very happy he was able to connect with them,” Hiltzik said. “It’s a great example that people of different backgrounds can agree on the importance of supporting our troops.”

Patricia Kane said when she heard Baldwin’s voice on the other line, she didn’t know what to think.

“I said, ‘No way. You’re lying.’ I was just blown away,” she said. “I am totally shocked and awed this has happened.”

Resha Kane said she was just as dumbfounded when her mother told her the news.

“It’s very generous,” she said from Fort Hood in Texas, where she is undergoing further training before her unit is deployed to Iraq in September. “Actors have all this money, and it’s a good thing to see them do something other than for themselves and show some character and use their money wisely.”

Kane, a chemical operations specialist in the Army, said she wants to be a biochemist but is not sure what university she wants to attend once she leaves the military in three years.

Baldwin entered his plea to one count each of unlawfully taking a car and receiving stolen property. He could face up to three years in prison if convicted. The warrant had been issued after Baldwin failed to show up for a Feb. 6 court date to face the charges.

“Unbeknownst to the owner of the car, his cousin had lent me the keys,” Baldwin said. “I believe firmly that by the time this investigation is over with, the Orange County district attorney’s office will be satisfied with the fact that I’m telling the truth.”

Hoagland had hoped the charges would be dismissed immediately, but the district attorney’s office wasn’t ready to forget the case.

“We welcome any new evidence and we will review it,” district attorney’s spokeswoman Farrah Emami said. “We’ll see what happens after we take a look at the case.”

Baldwin has been free on bail since he was arrested with the car at a Santa Monica hotel in November after police got a signal from the vehicle’s security system.