If a plan from Tyme Corp. comes true, its automated teller machines would provide music and commercials as they give out cash.
The Milwaukee-based ATM network is preparing to market audio capability for its ATMS that would allow users to hear a few second of music or a promotional announcement while they make a withdrawal. The machines could even urge customers to take out home equity loans - even buy a Big Mac.
The messages would probably be about 30 seconds long, the average length of an ATM transaction, and about the length of a spot on the radio.
The service, provided by Muzak, a Seattle company that pipes music over phone lines and into office buildings, will be available to Tyme's more than 500 bank members in June.
"It's cost-effective advertising," said James H. Martin, president of Tyme.
The audio will be provided by a satellite link or a tape-based system. A $400 digital reader, similar to a small compact disk player, must be installed in each ATM. Setting up a satellite link would be extra.
Mr. Martin would not divulge other costs, but said that "because of the 1,700 ATMs in our network, we can get an attractive rate from Muzak that a single institution couldn't obtain."
He said banks could sell the time to other advertisers, like the Coca- Cola Corp. or McDonald's.
"That's a new one on me," said Linda Zitelli, a researcher at Carmody & Bloom, a Ridgewood, N.J., consulting firm. But she said the banks would "need to be very discerning about how they position the message so it doesn't become annoying," she added.
"If it's playing the whole time it would be disturbing to the person making the transaction," said Ms. Zitelli. "Playing it while they're waiting (for cash) would make more sense."
