Danny Vigil joins Morning Show Boot Camp (RADIOMSBC) as this year's Executive Producer (in addition to his Producer duties with the BJ & Migs show on KISW in Seattle).
Danny has a deep understanding of the unique challenges and opportunities faced at RADIO MSBC making him uniquely qualified to guide the event's content flow and agenda.
Learn more about Danny's past experience with RADIO MSBC:
I started in radio in 2009 in Albuquerque, New Mexico on then, 93.3 KOB-FM! Well actually as a promo assistant for the entire 8 station cluster for Citadel.
After 6 months I wanted to be more than that. I loved on air and radio. I started learning to work the board and board op'ing for remotes and events.
Around 2010 I started working as the Danger Boy/On the streets guy for KOB-FM. Doing crazy stunts and getting people to recognize our station brand around the city, but I wanted to be on - air full time. So I was introduced to Wise Brother Media, and their platform Studio Think Tank, radio's social media. So I started learning about different ideas, stunts, and ways to prep the show etc. It was also the first time I learned about Morning Show Boot Camp as most of the people on the site usually made the annual trek to MSBC. A radio convention, where people get to network and really geek out on radio? It sounded awesome. I really wanted to be a part of it.
In that time, I had worked up to be more than just a stunt guy, and they asked me to be a part time Producer on the Mackenzie in the Morning show. When I really started leaning in on Studio Think Tank for ideas and help as I was a new producer.
As I had conversations with people like Tommy Sablan, Dave Ryan, Eric Rowe and Rick Rumble, I learned that I really needed to attend MSBC, as it was a place like Studio Think Tank but really gave producers and hosts/co-hosts huge ideas, and ways to improve their shows. That was it, it was on my bucket list of things I wanted to do.
It took a couple of years, but as I became full time executive producer of Morning Mayhem, I went to my PD and asked if I could attend MSBC. He told me I could take the time off, but I was still a bit strapped for funding. I called Don Anthony for the first time, and he graciously helped me find a way to get to boot camp. Rick Rumble told me he would buy me my first drink that year, and Zack Jackson told me I could sleep on his floor so I could make it all happen. And I was willing to do ALL of that. I knew it would be worth my time and money, and any sacrifices I needed to make, I just needed to get there. So I was all set for MSBC 2013!
Ironically, after I had booked my registration, I accepted a job with Wise Brother Media, in June of 2013. I took a job as Assistant Product Manager, to help create new products and manage current products under the Wise Brother umbrella. Wise Brother is a very active and fun sponsor of MSBC, so when I was on boarded, I told them I had already paid my registration for boot camp and had planned on going. My bosses, agreed that it would be fun to me to go since I was such an active member of Studio Think Tank, and had networked a lot through that.
2013 was my first boot camp. Yes I was technically a sponsor, but it was really good to see the inner workings of bootcamp from a sponsor position, because I got to see what they needed in terms of support, set up, communication, placement of promo stuff etc.
It was awesome. Along with that, I got to take my camera along and take pictures for Wise Brother. We arrived a day before boot camp started to set up, and stayed through Sunday. It was a lot of work, from set up to tear down, lots of networking and talking to people, as well as talking to people about our product. We also sponsored a Wise Brother Happy Hour that year, and closed down the bar. I had never been so tired yet had so much fun in my life. In my free minutes I got to check out some touristy things like the Bean and Garretts popcorn. Overall, it was a great experience and introduction into MSBC.
I attended three total boot camps with Wise Brother. 2013, 2014, and 2015. Each year being a sponsor was different, but a lot of fun to navigate the problems that come with set ups, issues day of, and so much fun getting to know EVERYONE who came to boot camp.
In 2015, we started doing the Studio Think Tank Live Chats, and I got the opportunity to bring these live chats to MSBC. Basically, they were panels that we did on Studio Think Tank throughout the year, and very much mimicked what a panel at MSBC looked like. Online, virtual, I got to moderate all of these panels as well as come up with the theme's, topics, and questions for all of them. It was a very creative process and I had a lot of fun planning these and executing them. I wanted to do something of the same at Boot Camp but just bring the live chat to the lobby, to show off the excitement and fun that Morning Show Boot camp brings.
So we did one live chat:
And I also, took my camera around for a quick MSBC wrap up and did a video after:
Gathering people together to do these was chaotic, but fun. And it summed up boot camp in a very perfect package. All of this being said, I definitely got to party, and we went out almost every night in Chicago. It was a party.
In 2016, I started working for BJ & Migs on 99.9 KISW in Seattle as the Executive Producer. And this was the first year that I was not going to MSBC as a sponsor. I just got to go as a talent and really see the other side of MSBC, and experience what so many others got to see with out the full stress of working the event.
2016 also marked my first year as a panelist. I was very honored to be asked by Tommy Sablan (Jeff & Jer Showgram) to be part of the producer panel. I accepted! It was awesome. Going to boot camp as a talent was so much different than going as a sponsor. I didn't really get to sit in on any panels when I was there with Wise Brother, and as a talent that is all I was there for. So I got to really take in all of the panels that year, and really plan for my own panel to see how these panels were crafted and how I could get the best content, as well as give the best content I could to new and upcoming producers.
I have done boot camp 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 (virtual), and 2022 all with BJ & Migs, and it has been a blessing to go every year. The only years I missed (2019 & 2021) were because I had a wedding to be at for the former, and in 2021 our show was still recovering from the pandemic. We made our triumphant return in 2022.
I have been a part of/hosted the producer panel in 2016, 2018, 2020, and 2022. Planning the panels, both from a host and a panel member's stand point have to be part of the fun for me because I like to be prepared. Again, having the best content, giving the best content, and asking questions to panel members that will be most beneficial to the MSBC audience.
Overall, I love MSBC down to my core. It has been something that has been a passion project for me to get to since basically I started in radio, I think that having this platform that Don Anthony gives us every year to come learn from one another, decompress, while also getting re invigorated about our industry, is one of the most special things we have in radio. Plus the networking, the fun, and everything else that goes along with it. I am very lucky and excited to be working with Marie and Don this year to plan MSBC to be one of the best yet!
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