COST DATA ON THE USE OF THE NEW INSTRUCTIONAL MEDIA ARE NECESSARY IN ORDER TO COMPARE DIFFERENT FORMS OF EDUCATION, TO DETERMINE THE ECONOMICALLY OPTIMUM RATE OF TECHNICAL USAGE, AND TO ASSIST ADMINISTRATORS. THE HISTORICAL INACCURACY OR STATISTICAL BIAS OF SOURCES AND THE INCOMPARABILITY OF DATA POSE DIFFICULTIES IN INTERPRETATION. THE COST OF EDUCATION, CALCULATED IN THE USUALLY IMPERFECT MARKETS OF DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, CAN BE BASED ON--CASH, BUDGET (FISCAL RESOURCES), MANPOWER, SKILLED MANPOWER, ALL CAPITAL RESOURCES, OR AVAILABILITY OF FOREIGN EXCHANGE FOR IMPORTED GOODS AND SERVICES. THESE COSTS SHOULD BE SO CATEGORIZED THAT THE SCARCEST RESOURCES ARE IDENTIFIED AND SAVED. WHEN COSTS ARE TABULATED, RATES OF EXCHANGE FROM EACH SET OF THESE COSTS INTO CASH SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED. THE NEW MEDIA HAVE COMMON COST CHARACTERISTICS THAT DIFFERENTIATE THEM FROM CONVENTIONAL EDUCATION COSTS. THESE ARE--INNOVATION, TRAINING, COURSE MATERIALS, EQUIPMENT FOR TRANSMISSION AND RECEPTION, AND RECURRENT COSTS. COSTING SHOULD BE CONSIDERED OVER A TOTAL TIME PERIOD, AND THUS ALSO DIVIDED INTO INITIAL, CAPITAL, AND RECURRENT COSTS. THE FINAL ANALYSIS SHOULD EXAMINE THE TREND OF COSTS, JOINT COSTS, AND BENEFITS OF THE NEW MEDIA. AN APPENDIX PRESENTS A COST CHART AND A LIST OF GUIDELINES. (JO)