Episode 39: Alicia Bettes
Rachel Kobus 0:00
We are thrilled to celebrate 50 years of TV-10 with our special guest who is a proud alum of the program, Ms. Alicia Bettes. So, Alicia, what's the word Redbird? Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Alicia Bettes 0:11
I love that. What's the word Red Bird, I'm going to start saying it to all of our Redbird alumni. I love it. I love it. Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to speak to you today. The word with this Redbird is keep soaring. That's what I've been doing since I graduated in 1994. And I believe it's gonna be 30 years this year in December. I am a Chicago girl. I am an Illinois girl. And I have had the opportunity to live in many cities and states around the country because of our beloved program and my training and broadcasting and radio and TV. It's been sky's the limit for the different TV stations and news radio stations as on-air hose media coaching talent coaching for production companies. It's been a whirlwind and a great ride.
Rachel Kobus 1:02
I love it. Okay, and the fact that you mentioned that it'll be 30 years since you graduated because I told Julie. I was like okay; this is my Lance Lippert trivia because on conversation Lance like supposed to little trivia. So right. Lance Lippert will be proud that I remind him of this. So that means during your senior year, TV-10 would have been celebrating 20 years on campus. Now celebrating 50 years.
Alicia Bettes 1:25
I know. I can't believe I'm like a few months older than TV-10.
Rachel Kobus 1:32
Oh my gosh.
Alicia Bettes 1:35
I turned 50 last year.
Rachel Kobus 1:36
No, you didn't. You look amazing. Oh my god. Oh, wow. So happy birthday. Nice. You look 21 always.
Alicia Bettes 1:50
Always.
Rachel Kobus 1:51
So going back to that then as you're 20 oneself as a student at ISU, because you've barely ever left then. So, what was it like being TV-10 and WZND, I saw you were an RA. And then studying broadcasting to tell our students what it was like, two years ago, basically, to be a student on campus.
Alicia Bettes 2:13
Long, long time ago, two years ago when I was 21. Stepping onto the Illinois State University campus was like one of the scariest and the most exciting things for me. It was the first time me moving away from home living on my own sort of with four roommates. But it was it was a time to figure out who I am. What I wanted to do or who I was at that time, what I wanted to do, and I had no clue. My major was not broadcasting, communications, journalism. Nothing. I was a psychology major, believe it or not, right. Someone heard me talking to one of my friends on campus. We were on the quad. It was a nice fall afternoon. And this young lady walked up to me her name was Tori. I can't remember her last name, but she worked for WZND. And she came up to me and said, hey, um, do you have any you know, what you do you want to work in broadcasting? Do you want to work in radio? And I was like, what? Why are you asking me this? Who are you? She goes, I just heard you talking. You have a good radio voice. And you know, we haven't tryouts. And I work at the radio station. I was like, yeah, so she gave me like a flyer. And my friends were like, you should go and I'm like, so they convinced me to go. And I want to say that from that point forward, the rest is history. Because I started out at WZND just volunteering on landed an air shift. And I did a variety of formats. We were multi-format back then. So we had R&B, we had metal we had adult contemporary, we had a news program, we did it all it was like the real deal radio station, and we sold ads, so we were making money too. So, it was it was it was just it was something brand new that I never thought of. And I was moving and grooving with that still as a psychology major. And then one day I was leaving out one of my comp classes because was part of my university studies. And I think it was a speech class, and out in the hallway was Jay Groves, who was the news director at TV-10. And I remember him walking up to me, he says, like, are you Bettes? Am I? Yeah, I don't know. Jay, I work for TV too. I know what TV-10 was. I was like, okay, and he goes I need you to stop by I want you to check out the program and I'm like, why? He goes, and I'll see you whatever day and time. So, this man was very, very convincing. Out of respect, you know, and from that play for it, that is history. I was pulled in, I don't even know how I got bit by the bug but I changed my major I became a communication major, with an emphasis in broadcasting. And I spent my time I lived we were in, oh gosh, what was the name of that building? Because we weren't always in Fell, we were Metcalf. And we eventually moved over to Fell, probably a year into me starting to work for both stations. And so, I lived in Fell Hall, I became an RA because you know, that room and board you know, why not? And University has to meet more students from everywhere. So, I worked as an RA my entire like, last three years of school. I was also a desk assistant. I was also a night manager. Hello, I was Miss Residential Life as well.
Rachel Kobus 5:44
And you didn't sleep either.
Alicia Bettes 5:46
I would, I would leave one class, I would go to the radio station, I leave the radio station, I go to some more classes, I go home, you know, mixture my floor was doing all right. Oh, my gosh, I got a shift at the desk. Oh my gosh, I gotta do, that was a nightmare. I mean, it was crazy. But you know, being 21 You have a lot of energy that you do not have later in life.
Rachel Kobus 6:08
Understandable, that's real.
Alicia Bettes 6:10
That’s how I got through it. And I had a lot of great support from you know, our faculty staff. And, you know, a lot of supportive friends and you know, student mentors as well, who got me through.
Rachel Kobus 6:21
Very cool. Well, thanks for sharing that. I love it. Yeah, I forgot. I didn't even know that the radio station was at Metcalf. No TV. Yeah, no, didn't No, no. Nope. Nope. had no clue. No clue.
Alicia Bettes 6:38
I just learned that actually recently, too. I was working on a story for TV-10’s 50th anniversary celebration. And I was talking to I believe in 1979 alum. Oh, wow. And she was telling me all the fun stories about having to dash across the quad with like physical tapes in hand to like, get them to the right person to like, get on-air right away. I'm like, yes. So funny to think that it's changed. I mean, those tapes were big. They weren't like little cassette tapes, you had big fat cameras, and you had a separate audio deck. And I knew right then and there. I did not want to be a photog because I did not want to carry that heavy camera, and that every day and snag my pantyhose. No, no, I'll carry the mic.
Rachel Kobus 7:29
Yes. We all have our part. This is going to be mine. Thank you. Absolutely. Well, you do it well, Alicia.
Alicia Bettes 7:35:
Now I can just walk around and be like, you want to do an interview on a cell phone?
Rachel Kobus 7:46
And that's so I guess, you know, so you're saying that? So, what has changed that, you know, you've been in for 30 years, basically 40? So, what has been the most challenging, the most rewarding? Like, what have you seen the most change in the broadcasting world? You know, between everything you've done?
Alicia Bettes 8:05
Definitely technology, technology has changed drastically. And I mean, it was it's for the better, I believe. You know, unfortunately, for as you know, trained journalists, you know, a lot of citizen journalists have entered the broadcasting space, which is not completely bad. But I think there are competition more than, say, the guy down the street, you know, CBS, NBC, you know, all of the affiliates, that you might be in the same market competing against. Now, you know, I think our biggest challenge is the internet, social media, and just the typical man or woman on the street, who can probably find news faster than we can, you know, we had to rely on wire services, scanners, you had to keep your ear to the ground. I mean, you really had to have contacts, and you still do, don't get me wrong, you still need those contacts, the basic foundations of journalism should never ever go away. But technology and just the space we live in have changed how we do our jobs. And, you know, for me, I think it keeps us on our toes. For newer journalists to enter the market space it's kind of like they need to, they have to learn both worlds. I feel like I came from, you know, a really good starting place. And I still carry a lot of that with me because it's it continues to help me help others become better. And then for me, and you know, as well as the newer journalists, when we walk into these new arenas with new technology, you know, it's just showing us how to up our game a little bit, and what to be on the lookout for, you know, just keeping our awareness, you know, heightened and knowing that you know, we you just can't let your guard down at all. But you know, it is what it is like, if you don't change the world will continue to change without you and just leave you in the dust. So, you just got to keep moving forward and being willing and open to learning and doing something different.
Rachel Kobus 10:14
Good advice. And love it. Um, I have to add to that to you. You made me laugh because I research, I use Instagram, obviously to do research on some folks. And then I think one of them you posted was the conversation on the ad symbol. Way back when was like when that was a big thing. And an email and what is this ad? What is it? I mean, yeah, it is just funny to think like, that's the kind of like news and how far we've gone and what we talk about and how things have changed and how we communicate.
Alicia Bettes 10:51
It's crazy when I saw that because that was a repost. I did from the Today Show. And it was Bryant Gumbel, Katie Couric, the other journalist that was on the set with them, but that was 1994. Yeah. Okay. And I remember, you know, some of my RA friends and I, you know, they gave us access to like, I don't even know what it was called. But it was an online chat. So, like, think of I don't know, what was the one that people use MySpace or thinking like, a Microsoft Teams or Slack or that was like, how it was, you couldn't see anybody, it was just a chat, I mean, on Teams and everything else. Now, all these other platforms, you have video options, you have all these graphics. And you know, gifts you can use, like, No, it was just words. You never knew who you were actually talking to, you know, you could have just been talking to a computer for all, you know, but you know, this is how this is how it started for us. But there were there was no email, but this email, you speak of the X symbol, like what like, what is that? It was truly like learning a new language. And if you didn't learn that language, forget about it. Yeah. I mean, like you are just non-existent, especially by today's standards. You know, that's all I mean, that's prehistoric, compared to what we, you know, manage today, in terms of communication with one another.
Julie Navickas 12:21
There's obviously right, there's been a significant amount of change. I mean, you mentioned technology and what that's doing to the industry and how it's changing, Alicia, what do you see? What do you see for the future? How are things going to change and continue to evolve?
Alicia Bettes 12:38
Let me shake my little magic eight ball. I think technology, of course, is going to continue to evolve in some form or fashion. And I'm not a techie per se. But when I hear about something, you know, I'll research it, I'll try it out. And I'm sure there's somebody you know, who might not be as senior as I am, who probably knows even a little bit more than I do. And I always listen, I am not too old to learn, ever. You know. So I, you know, in terms of the technology itself, I think one of the biggest things that we're seeing now, of course, this streaming, everybody's streaming, everybody's coming out with their little Roku, I mean, we've heard of fire sticks, there's Xumo, there are all these devices, you know, there was this big push, where people cutting the cord, you know, from cable, which being a cable girl myself, I don't think that, that's how some people pay the bills. But we get it. And so, like you even as a cable, you know, working for a cable company and cable companies across the country, the world for that matter, they get it. So, they are now offering their products and services via streaming platform devices. Like if you sign up for this certain service within whatever company, you get the streaming device, because not only can you get our products, you can get this and this and that. So, I think if you're not streaming your products and services as a traditional linear broadcast operation, you'll probably be out of business at some point. Because a lot of content is transferring to those platforms. And going back to what we talked about earlier in terms of the internet and social media and people on the street, like that's your competition, so you got to keep up with them. You got to keep up with your competition and find a way to drive viewership from these platforms back to your linear because I don't necessarily think linear will completely disappear. You know, but less and less people, or fewer people I should say, are navigating and getting their information else. Where and that includes people who are not just in their 20s or 30s. But 40s, 50s, 60s on up, I mean, there's some savvy seniors out there so that the seniors could run rings around all of us. And they're, that's how they're watching their content. You know, they're, they're looking at these different apps. Now, I'm not going to give anybody a plug. But they're watching their movies, and they're their favorite shows on all of these streaming devices. So, if you're not streaming, you're basically just putting yourself out of business.
Rachel Kobus 15:32
Now, I have to add to just you being you've seen it firsthand, you went to AccuWeather, and worked with staff meteorologists there and now Spectrum News, both were streaming online. So, a very big from, you did the traditional, and you're the perfect example of you have to stay relevant, you have to stay up to date, you have to use everything, all the tools in your toolkit, and your channels.
Alicia Bettes 15:54
You know, one of the things about working for AccuWeather, I think they were ahead of the game in terms of how they set up their business model because they started on digital first. And then it was the linear. And so, it seemed kind of weird, you know, coming from, you know, my era, it was always linear first, oh, now we got this whole digital social thing that we have to do. And they actually did it the opposite way and built from there. So that was it was it was interesting going into that company and working from that vantage point. But you know, it was a successful venture. So, you got to stay relevant. You have to stay relevant.
Rachel Kobus 16:39
No, no, makes perfect sense.
Julie Navickas 16:43
Very wise advice.
Rachel Kobus 16:44
No, and so I have wanted to add to for everybody, and I hope Julie appreciates this stuff from the School of COM side. Congratulations on being an inductee of ISU Broadcast Hall of Fame. So well deserved!
Alicia Bettes 17:05
When they reached out to me, I was like you sure you got the right person? Did you accidentally put my name in this email?
Julie Navickas 17:17
No, it was not a mistake.
Alicia Bettes 17:20
It was you know, because it's such an honor. I mean, when I walk out, walk down that hallway, you know, between TV-10 and WZND at Fell Hall. And I see these pictures of previous inductees. One of whom I own was my mid-door, Karen Lee, she worked for WZND radio. She was the music director. And to this day, we're still connected. She lives in Dallas, Texas. She works for gosh, I don't want to say the wrong company. But she still works in a music industry, music industry exec, and she still reaches out to me. And she's like, hey, mentee, and I'm like, hey, mentor! I mean, as 30 plus years. And I when I saw her on the wall and some of my other TV-10 grads, it just filled my heart because you know, I have so much love and respect for these people. And they're doing so well. And to be a part of that club. Oh my gosh. I'm just I'm tearing up thinking about it. So, you know, I'm gonna be a mess. This is like it's one of the greatest thing ever. I mean, I've won some awards, you know, throughout my career, but this oh my god, between this and the the Outstanding Alumni Award that I received from Illinois State COM Department back in October. I'm like, I can retire now.
Julie Navickas 18:54
Checked all the boxes.
Rachel Kobus 18:57
Thank you ISU for a full-circle moment right there.
Alicia Bettes 19:00
So is it really is and it's for to come on such a significant anniversary for the TV-10 program. It's golden anniversary. I mean, it's incredible. I can't wait to see some of the other people there too. Because I actually know some of them personally, I work with some of them over the years, so it's gonna be great. It's gonna be a great reunion.
Rachel Kobus 19:28
So, what are you looking forward to most coming back? You see, you've been back to campus. I know in October you came back once but what do you like when you get to visit campus? I guess then what? What's that? What's that feeling?
Alicia Bettes 19:38
Oh, my gosh. So first of all, okay, I was there in April as well last year, because I spoke during COM week. Last year was like, my anniversary because I hadn't been back to campus, you know, since I was 21, you know, two years ago. But I mean, just since I've been back on campus, it's still that same energy and just freshness. And everybody is so sweet and nice and welcoming and just friendly. And because you don't get that in the world every day, you guys know that. But coming back to like a sense of security, it's like my security blanket. It just, it just makes me happy to see how far we've come. I still consider myself a We, you know, once a bird, always a bird, so it's just exciting and you’re gonna laugh. One of the things I do look forward to you when I come back to the area.. Avanti’s.
Rachel Kobus 20:40
I knew you're gonna say it!
Alicia Bettes 20:47
Yes, all the things. I mean, I've been when I think about the prices of the food that we used to get from there back then. I mean, it's a difference. Don't get me wrong, and I understand. But I'm telling you, like, we would get a loaf of bread for like, I don't know, it was like 50 cents or whatever it was all I knew is it you know, we lived on it poor college students. Like we lived on a Avanti’s, like it was when we didn't have that delicious meal from the residence hall dining centers. Absolutely. Yes. You know, because of those late nights at the TV station, the dining center is not open or the radio station overnight shifts. We get our Avanti’s and we you know, keep it going.
Rachel Kobus 21:30
Well see, and that's why it's still here for like you they come. I know.
Julie Navickas 21:35
Oh, so that'll be your first stop. When you get on campus here in a couple of weeks.
Alicia Bettes 21:44
Maybe right. I will walk to Avanti’s if I had to. Because I'm in Florida.
Rachel Kobus 21:52
Okay. Okay. Well, I'm sure I'm sure we can figure out another way to get to you, so you do not have to walk here. No, it's good to hear. Yeah.
Julie Navickas 22:07
Well, I know we're looking forward to having you back, too. I know we had the opportunity to connect last fall right around homecoming, and we got to hear about your success and your career. And I know I asked you this question at that time. But I'd love to hear the success stories of what your school of communication degree did for you. I mean, you're wildly successful. Lisa, like, we're all so proud of you. And I know you've done so much. But maybe you can explain a little bit about, you know, what did your comm degree specifically do for you to set you up for that success?
Alicia Bettes 22:38
Absolutely. Absolutely. And I think I'll speak for a lot of our COM grads, you know, that graduated around the same time I did. Even though if they didn't stay in, say a broadcasting arena, per se, I believe that degree opens so many doors, because if you can't communicate, how can you function, I believe our school teaches you how to not just survive, but thrive in anything and everything you do on a daily basis. You know, right out of school, I didn't do the typical internship. I had a job in radio right out of school. I graduated on a Saturday, and I was working at a radio station on Monday. And I'm like, what is happening? What is happening? You know, I was shaking in my boots. But I worked at a radio station in Peoria. So, I lived in Bloomington-Normal for a little while after graduating. And then from the radio station, I went to TV, and I worked in Champaign as a reporter and associate producer for WCI, a CBS station in Champaign. And you know, there were a few Illinois State grads there, our beloved Bob was there, Bob Carol, and there were a few others along the way. Nathan Holder, who was a TV-10 grad graduate the same year, and some others. And as you know, we came through the door just knocking things out of the park. And people ask us like, where did you go to school? How did you learn this? Illinois State University, TV-10, WZND because we function like the world functions. And you know, we just going back to just you know, people's personalities and the comfort in the warmth in the end and, you know, people just being nice, you know, when they met us, they would say, what the heck, like you're not like some of the others out here, because you're like, you know, we had the home training, as our parents would say, you know, I raised you better than that. I mean, Illinois State raise does well. And you know, from there, I mean, I was just able every time I interviewed for a different job because a lot of people don't understand this industry, sometimes you have to move to get the experience that you want. Because people ask why you move around so much, why don't you just stay put? Well, not only is it a financial thing where you want to earn a little bit more, so you can continue to live peacefully, hopefully. But just to get that experience, some markets don't offer what other markets can in terms of the technology, or the mentorship or just the growth and opportunity and access to different journalistic opportunities, I should say, so you have to move around. And I never felt inadequate, or like I didn't measure up everywhere I went. And I always, you know, keep plugged into what I learned way back then. Because it still host you in firm today, even with all the changes in technology, or just, you know, even though the respect that I think has waned a little bit when it comes to journalism itself, the things that we were taught the things that we you know, behold his values, you know, coming from the communications department and Illinois State University, there's, there's still so much of that, that it's all of its needed in the world that we are in today. And you know, no matter what you choose to do with that degree, you're going to be a success, there's no doubt. I know people who were in radio, it just wasn't working out for them. For whatever reason, they went into insurance. They're excelling at that, or someone who went into real estate, they're excelling what that boils right back down to knowing how to communicate effectively.
Julie Navickas 26:42
You got that right. Yeah.
Rachel Kobus 26:46
You’re talking to two School of COM grads, so we’re like yes, yes, keep going. I love hearing it. So, Julie, this is up to you. I know the final questions when I'm interested in what I have written down. Do you want to ask it though? Because I feel like it goes way up more for our advice question.
Julie Navickas 27:07
I would love to. So, Alicia, you're gonna be back on campus here in a couple of weeks. Obviously, I know you'll get to be in front of a few different students. But for those students who can't, you know, have your time. What advice would you offer them? How would you recommend they be successful? And following your footsteps? What would you say?
Alicia Bettes 27:27
I would say the same advice I gave back in April because that is like my homing device. Which is you don't know everything. Even though you know you're coming out of one of the best schools in the world. You still don't know everything. And there's somebody around you, who knows probably a little bit more knows you know, how to navigate the waters of whatever field you choose. So, find a mentor, find mentors, not just one, you have a roundtable you know, you want to find people who won't just tell you what you want to hear, tell you what you need to hear. And tell you yeah, no, that ain’t right you know, you might want to rethink this, you know, because ultimately it is your decision. But when you can get some good guidance, some heartfelt you know, love that, you know, people who want to see you succeed, they want to see you shine, you know, don't surround yourself with people who are just like, oh, yeah, girl, that's good. But you know, or, you know, yeah, man, you know, yeah, that sounds great. No, you need some honest, deep dive feedback on what you need to do even if it's like, okay, I got this incredible job offer, you know, what, what do you think about it? And then because that person could start asking you questions, what did you ask them? This is your what are the values? What is their mission? Things that align with you because one thing that I have learned no matter how great the offer may be, on paper, you know, you want to you want to love where you work, and that's not always easy. But if you understand the company's mission, their vision, their values, which a lot of people like I don't care how much they're paying all money is not good money. Let me tell you know, you want to be able to sleep at night you want to you don't want to have that pit in your stomach when you drive in the parking lot. And this applies to anybody not just you know, working in TV, you want to be proud of where you work what you do. So, ask these questions to people who have gone before you or you know, and it's not necessarily professional advice all the time. Just some good old fashioned you know what, I love you, and I want to impart this with you. This is what I'm seeing. This is what I'm hearing. Find some mentors people you trust, they want to be on this journey with you to success.
Rachel Kobus 30:05
And that's good advice for calm students, but I was gonna say for anybody listening to this, listening to that right now I'm like, yes, yes, I will.
Alicia Bettes 30:15
You know, that's why I feel like I could walk into any company and it's just, it's not my ego. It's just the confidence that I have. Because I have a love for people no matter what, even people that might not be so nice might be a little rough around the edges. I still want to see you thrive I don't want to see you just survive. Like nobody wants to be in survival mode all the time. Like, oh my god, I'm in battle. I want to see you thrive. You know, I want to know how I can help you whether it's professionally or maybe it's something outside of the work walls that you're you might have a couple challenges that you're trying to overcome, and you just don't know, you know, people immediately say, oh that journalist, oh, she's asking questions. She's being nosy maybe you know, because that's just you know, the curiosity bug that we have, but honestly, for me personally, I just want the best for everybody no matter what. And you know, so find people who care about you and want to see you grow.
Rachel Kobus 31:12
I love it. Yeah, beautiful. Yeah. So, thank you for ending with that. I well, I feel very inspired and ready to go and hit the world now with everything I don't know about you, Julie. I feel like maybe as well too. So.
Alicia Bettes 31:29
Well, I've had a great time speaking with you today. This is the highlight of April period.
Rachel Kobus 31:38
She's not fooling anybody people know. Right? Not a joke. No.
Alicia Bettes 31:43
This is not a joke. It is not a joke. This is quite an honor. You all make me feel like a celebrity and I am so not the celebrity. But you all make me feel so valued and it's just an honor, I tell you to be able to share with my fellow Redbirds.