The Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia

John Rawlins , an Action News general assignment reporter, joined 6-ABC in April, 1981. John came to Channel 6 from WAVE-TV in Louisville, Kentucky, where he was their "Probe Reporter."

John Rawlins has been instrumental in exposing an employment service scam, which promised jobs that never materialized. His bullet-proof vest series reporting on design deficiencies, resulted in the Philadelphia Police Department upgrading its vests and the series was cited by the Philadelphia Press Association and Sigma Delta Chi for excellence in prescribing the addictive drug "Quaalude"; and the series prompted a federal probe leading to the introduction of legislation making the manufacture, sale and use of Quaaludes illegal in Pennsylvania.

Before beginning his investigative reporting for WAVE-TV, Rawlins was the station's educational/general assignment reporter. While at WAVE-TV in Louisville, Rawlins received a number of awards, including a first place in investigative journalism for the Louisville Press Association for his series "Kentucky Coal: A Matter of Crime," in which he exposed a multimillion dollar coal fraud scheme.

He served as a weekend anchor/reporter for WKYT-TV in Lexington, Kentucky prior to his joining WAVE-TV. John received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Political Science for the University of Kentucky. He was born in Washington D.C. He is married and lives in the Philadelphia suburbs.

The e-mail address of the Broadcast Pioneers of Philadelphia is pioneers@broadcastpioneers.com