A system for automatically activating a facsimile receiver in response to a call signal is disclosed. In response to a call signal from a facsimile transmitter, a closed DC loop of a telephone subscriber line is established and a power supply circuit is energized, and in response to a status signal transmitted after the call signal, the facsimile receiver is set into a desired reception mode so that video information may be automatically received and the transmitted images or pictures may be reproduced at the receiver. When the reception of video information is completed, the closed DC loop is automatically opened and the power supply circuit is also automatically deenergized. Furthermore, if a malfunction of a recorder or printer in the facsimile receiver should occur, the received video information is switched to be transferred to a magnetic tape recorder. Therefore, after the malfunction of the printer has been remedied, the printer may reproduce the images or pictures from the video information recorded on the magnetic tape.