Orlando, FL, Oct. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Whiskey & Wireless Podcast, produced by ClearSky Technologies and hosted by VP & General Manager Ron Willett, has won Gold for Business People & Entrepreneurs Shaping Culture in the Shows division of the 5th Annual Signal Awards.
ClearSky Wins Gold at Signal Awards with The Whiskey & Wireless Podcast
ClearSky started the show in 2025 to bring relationships back to the front of the telecom industry. After years of meetings, check-ins and even deals moving to video calls, the company wanted a show built on face-to-face conversation, so Ron sits down in-person with the people who drive the ecosystem forward, and the talk stays candid and unscripted. The show has released 23 episodes on YouTube, one a month. Guests have included Tim Donovan, CEO of the Competitive Carriers Association, and Dr. Delreo Newman, Chairman of CANTO. Two episodes were recorded live at CCA events, and one of them doubled as a hot wing challenge.
“We started this because the best conversations in this business happen after the panel is over, and nobody was recording them,” said Willett. “A lot of people put work into every episode that the audience never sees, so this one belongs to the whole team.”
Winners are selected by the invitation-only Signal Awards Judging Academy, whose members this year include Jay Shetty, host of On Purpose; Daniel Roth, VP of Content and Editor in Chief at LinkedIn; and Steve McLendon, Head of Product for Podcasts at YouTube. Signal also partners with YouTube, BBC Studios, TED, Dolby, Substack and CBC. Other 2026 Gold winners include Good Hang with Amy Poehler and NPR’s Wild Card with Rachel Martin.
“Telecom marketing is mostly spec sheets and trade show booths, and we wanted to give the industry a reason to get to know who we are,” said Charles Rodriguez, VP of Marketing at ClearSky. “Ron sitting down with carrier leaders does that better than anything we could put in a brochure. Nobody here expected a telecom show to come home with Gold when we filmed the first episode.”
About ClearSky Technologies
ClearSky Technologies, headquartered in Orlando, FL, helps wireless operators unlock new revenue and deploy future-ready messaging solutions through iCODE Connect, its comprehensive messaging enablement platform. iCODE Connect provides regional carriers and operators with access to A2P messaging, RCS enablement, RCS for Business, and the infrastructure and managed services needed to participate in the evolving messaging ecosystem. With more than 25 years in telecom, ClearSky combines deep carrier expertise with flexible deployment models designed to make advanced messaging technologies accessible to operators of all sizes. For more information, visit csky.com.
About The Signal Awards
The Signal Awards recognizes the podcasts that define culture. The awards body is mission-focused on uplifting the podcast medium by recognizing the most potent, meaningful and unprecedented audio projects being made today as decided by The Signal Awards Judging Academy. For more information, visit signalaward.com.
Press Inquiries
Charles Rodriguez
crodriguez [at] csky.com
https://www.csky.com
A video accompanying this announcement is available here: https://youtube.com/watch?v=WK3R_3mYQqs
