Abstract: Disclosed herein is an automatic telephone answering device having an announcement tape deck for recording an announcement and for reproducing it in response to an incoming call. Circuitry including a syllabic detector and an announcement timer in the device provides different operating times in the deck's two different operating modes. In an announcement record mode, the deck is electrically deactuated a predetermined time period following the end of the announcement being recorded, i.e., after the absence of speech signals for the predetermined time. However, when operating in an announcement reproduce or playout mode, the deck is deactuated a different, shorter period of time following the end of the announcement on the tape. The longer deactivation period is provided after recording an announcement to insure that a sufficient portion of any previously recorded, longer announcement on the tape will be erased past the point where the deck is deactuated during announcement reproduction.