Chris Albrecht's memo to HBO employees:

My colleagues and friends:

I am deeply sorry for what occured in Las Vegas this weekend and for any embarrasment it caused my family, the company I love, and myself.

While I am not at liberty to discuss the incident as the district attorney and my lawyer are still determining the facts, it is my hope to do so in the near future.

This weekend was a wake up call to me of a weakness I thought I had overcome long ago. I had been a sober member of Alcoholics Anonymous for thirteen years. Two years ago, I decided that I could handle drinking again. Clearly, I was wrong. Given that truth, I have committed myself to sobriety. I intend to take a temporary leave of absence from HBO effective today, in order to go back to working with AA.

Leading this company is a great privilege and I pray that I can continue to do so in a manner that brings honor and pride to this remarkable organization and its remarkable people. Thank you for your understanding during these difficult hours, I will not let you down again.

COO Bill Nelson assumes Albrecht's post temporarily.

According to the LAT, this kind of thing has happened to Albrecht before: In 1991, Albrecht was charged with battering a subordinate he dated.