A paging system, or the like, having a transmitting station and a plurality of pocket sized subscriber units is disclosed. The transmitting station has a keyboard for encoding alphanumeric characters of a message and a subscriber code, a storage means for a predetermined number of characters of a message, means for converting a binary character code, such as ASCII, to a binary code representative of the character to be displayed in matrix form, and a format circuit for transmitting successive columns of the successive matrix code with blank columns and timing spaces therebetween to facilitate reconstruction of the subscriber code and message. Each of the subscriber units is battery powered and sized to be carried in a pocket of the user's clothing. Each pocket unit includes a receiver, means for detecting a unique subscriber code and enabling the display, for example, a non-impact type thermal printer having a single column of thermal print elements, and a system for advancing a thermally sensitive record tape past the print elements. Synchronism of such pocket printer is controlled by the format of the subscriber code and message, with blank spaces at the end of each column of data being detected to cause the print elements to be heated in accordance with the column data and then the record tape advanced one column width. A receiver having a nonprinting, visual message display is also disclosed.