This study was conducted to determine how women in the Indian State of Tamil Nadu--where both regional and national network television are available for viewing--perceive the role of television in helping the cause of women. A television content analysis was done for two subsequent weeks, focusing on the portrayal of women in the programs, and the cumulative findings of this analysis were then compared with the views of the respondents. Analyses of the data indicated that: (1) television had established itself as a vital source of information for all women, regardless of economic/educational status; (2) television was a primary source of entertainment for those at home, i.e., the elderly and lower middle and middle class housewives; (3) upper middle and upper class women felt their needs were not being met by regional television programs; (4) there was a marked difference in the portrayal of women between regional and national network televisions; (5) regional viewers were concerned with traditional dress of women on television; and (6) advertisements were of interest, but educated women resented advertisements suggestive of women's secondary status. It was concluded that television should not perpetuate outmoded moral and social values that have been imposed on women in the past. (10 references) (CGD)