NHK head apologizes for arrest

NHK President Genichi Hashimoto took to the airwaves Sunday to apologize for the arrest of a reporter on suspicion of attempted arson at a construction site in Kishiwada, Osaka Prefecture.</PARAGRAPH> <PHOTO> <TABLE WIDTH='200' ALIGN='RIGHT' BORDER='0'> <TR> <TD><IMG ALT='News photo' BORDER='0' SRC='/images/photos2005/nn20051107a1a.jpg' WIDTH='200' HEIGHT='177'/></TD> </TR> <TR> <TD><FONT SIZE='1'><B>NHK President Genichi Hashimoto –

ponders a question during a news conference at the public broadcaster's headquarters in Tokyo.

He told a news conference later in the day he will voluntarily return 30 percent of his pay for three months as a "visible form" of apology. Three other executives, including Vice President Taeko Nagai, will voluntarily return 10 percent for the same period.