BALDWIN WANTED OUT OF '30 ROCK,' NBC SAID NO (AP)

By Nancy Vialatte

Alec Baldwin taped an interview with �The View� yesterday which will be aired Friday. The transcript of the chat was released to The Associated Press and contains some interesting facts. Notably, that Baldwin asked NBC to let him out of his �30 Rock� contract but that the network balked.

"If I never acted again I couldn't care less," Baldwin said in the pre-taped appearance and added that he wanted to leave the NBC sitcom so the folks who work there wouldn�t "be hurt by the situation." The situation, of course, being a ranting answering-machine message Baldwin left for his daughter Ireland over whom he has been locked in an on-going custody battle with ex-wife Kim Basinger.

NBC responded with a statement saying, "Alec Baldwin remains an important part of `30 Rock.' We look forward to having him continue his role in the show."

A source told the AP that Baldwin intends to fulfill his obligation to the show which has been renewed for a second season.

Baldwin was interviewed on "The View" by Barbara Walters and Rosie O'Donnell and Walters questioned him about his harsh remarks to his daughter.

"You didn't mean to say it to your child?" she asked.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with being frustrated or angry about something," he replied. "It's the way you do it, and as people often do in this world, I took it out on the wrong person because I'm unable, under the current dynamic, to address the other person. I realize that was wrong.�

"You said it to your daughter, but you meant it for your ex-wife?" Walters asked.

"Well, I think that goes without saying, quite frankly," Baldwin said.

According to the partial transcript from "The View," Baldwin said he intended to take "three years or five years, it doesn't matter," and focus on the problem of divorced parents and their children. He has a book coming out about divorce litigation, possibly this fall, he said.

Acting, he said, has lost its importance.

"I've had enough of this quite frankly to last me a lifetime, especially in the modern tabloid world and ... there's a bigger thing I want to do, there's a more important thing I want to do."