THE STUDY WAS SET UP IN 1963 CHIEFLY TO IDENTIFY THE FUNCTIONS OF VARIOUS MASS MEDIA AND THEIR RELATIVE IMPORTANCE TO THE AUDIENCE (A SAMPLE OF WISCONSIN FARM WOMEN). THE FARM WOMEN WERE IN CONTACT WITH MASS MEDIA AN AVERAGE OF SIX OR SEVEN HOURS DAILY. BASED ON EARLIER DATA (1957) IT APPEARED THAT THE PROPORTION OF HOMES WITH TELEVISION, WOMEN'S MAGAZINES, AND GENERAL MAGAZINES HAD RISEN, WHILE THE PROPORTION TAKING WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS HAD DECREASED. TOTAL RESPONSES TO DIRECT QUESTIONS STRESSED INFORMATION AS THE FUNCTION OF MASS MEDIA, FOLLOWED BY ENTERTAINMENT, SOCIAL CONTACT, AND COMPANIONSHIP. HOWEVER, RESPONSES TO PROJECTION QUESTIONS STRESSED ENTERTAINMENT SLIGHTLY MORE THAN INFORMATION. PRESTIGE RATINGS FAVORED FARM MAGAZINES AND NEWS AND PUBLIC AFFAIRS BROADCASTING. FARM AND WOMEN'S MAGAZINES RANKED HIGHEST, AND TELEVISION AND WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS LOWEST, AS INFORMATION SOURCES. TELEVISION WAS MOST OFTEN SPECIFIED, AND FARM MAGAZINES AND WEEKLY NEWSPAPERS LEAST OFTEN SPECIFIED, FOR ENTERTAINMENT. NEWSPAPERS LED IN TERMS OF SOCIAL CONTACT. RADIO (WITH ONLY 11 PERCENT OF THE SAMPLE) WAS THE LEADING MEDIUM FOR COMPANIONSHIP. FINDINGS SUGGEST THAT THESE FARM WOMEN RELY HEAVILY ON MASS MEDIA BUT THAT THE MEDIA ARE USED IN AN INTERLOCKING FASHION WITH NO ONE MEDIUM SERVING A GIVEN PURPOSE EXCLUSIVELY. THE DOCUMENT INCLUDES 29 REFERENCES. (LY)