PURPOSE: To utilize picture information for an automatic answering function and to transmit the picture information to a user without missing an opportunity by storing a transmission item and terminating information and reporting the stored contents at a set reproducing time.

CONSTITUTION: When an answer key on a key input part 200 is depressed, a control part 300 is turned to an automatic answer message mode and a message registering function is driven. A subject image is converted into a video signal, which is transmitted to a picture compressing/expanding circuit 400. A sound is sent to a sound processing part 500, compressed and encoded and the processed sound signal is stored in a memory 900. When an automatic answering mode is set up, a controller 61 reports no off-hook operation after terminating to a control part 300, which reads out a premessage and answer message data from the memory 900 and sends the read contents to a telephone line. The control part 300 separates the data of a terminating message into sound and video data based upon the information from the controller 61, processes respective data and stores the processed data in the memory 900. A user listens/observes the stored data by key operation or an automatic memo/ message information control function executing mode.