The Wake Up Call with Benji Snead Podcast

Kurt Kiser on April 30th, 2026

In this episode, Benji Snead talks to local on-air personality Kurt Kiser. Benji and Kurt cover a variety of topics, like how Kurt got started in the media industry, what he does in media now, what he thinks about NIL, Lubbock election turnout, and what's changed about Lubbock over the years.

Roxzine Stinson on April 29th, 2026

Benji sits down and revisits with Roxzine Stinson, who is the Lubbock county elections administrator. She talks about how the county did with turnout for early voting, what happened with the voting machines on the first day of early voting, and what voters should expect different from early voting to election day on Saturday. She also dives into how voters find results of each election and what dates voters need to know coming up.

Nick Atwood on April 29th, 2026

Benji is joined by Nick Atwood, who is the CEO of the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce. Benji and Nick break down Nick's vision for the chamber, what defines success for the chamber, and what it does for the community of Lubbock. Nick also informs listeners why someone should join the chamber and how the chamber advocates for the businesses and people of the city.

Mike Stevens on April 29th, 2026

Benji Snead talks with local campaign manager and election guru Mike Stevens. Mike comes back to the studio to share an update on the county turnout numbers in early voting. He talks about what trends he's seeing with elections and turnouts and, behind the low turnout numbers, and if that trend will continue throughout elections. Mike explains how he makes his election predictions, what elections outside of Lubbock that he's following, and what the biggest issues are that the city faces.

Randy Criswell on April 28th, 2026

Benji Snead sits down with the city manager of Wolfforth Randy Criswell. Randy shares the projects he's been a part of for the city, how the city is handling the growth it's going through, and how Wolfforth has developed neighborhoods. Benji asks Randy about his relationship with the Wolfforth mayor, the biggest challenges the city faces, and why people are choosing to move out to Wolfforth.

Dr. Jennifer Wilson and Mark McDougal on April 28th, 2026

Benji Snead is joined by Lubbock city councilwoman Dr. Jennifer Wilson and former mayor Mark McDougal. The trio goes over a variety of Lubbock-related topics, including the progress on completed and current road projects, how Lubbock is handling rapid growth, and where the city stands as far as plans for the Civic Center expansion. They also talk about what's changed from Mark's time in office to now, what the citizens want done in the city, and what the city needs to build off of.

Gary Boren on April 27th, 2026

Benji Snead chats with Gary Boren, who has been placed on the ballot for City Council - District 4 after the Seventh Court of Appeals ruled in favor of Gary. Benji gets a reaction from Gary on the ruling and asks him about what precedence the ruling sets, what issues he wants to tackle moving forward, and has Gary elaborate on what his vision for District 4 and the city is. Gary also talks about his background as a concert promoter and what it takes to pull off a major concert like the George Strait concert this past weekend.

Bryan Mudd on April 27th, 2026

Benji Snead talks with KAMC news anchor Bryan Mudd as Bryan gives his opinion and takes on an array of different topics. Bryan talks about how he got into the news industry, how college students are getting into the media and journalism field, and what the role of media in a region like Lubbock's should be. Bryan gives his thoughts on local politics, the trend on crime in Lubbock, and what's going on with Texas Tech Athletics.

John Osborne on April 24th, 2026

Benji Snead sits down with the president and CEO of the Lubbock Economic Development Alliance John Osborne. John talks about the impact that the upcoming George Strait concerts will have on the Lubbock economy, what the purpose of LEDA is and what they are doing with tax-funded money. He also breaks down what makes a deal and kills a deal for LEDA, how the city's economic development compares the other cities, and what the current state of the Lubbock economy looks like.

Mike Stevens on April 24th, 2026

Benji Snead talks to Mike Stevens, who is a veteran campaign manager in the Lubbock area and across the state of Texas. Benji asks Mike about his background, how he helped shaped the current election process in Lubbock county, and how he has learned to understand the statistics behind elections. Mike also explains how some campaigns win and lose and shares what current local and state races he's covering.