Local 3 Anchors Carroll, Sexton Sign Off
The longest-running news anchor team in Tennessee aired its final show together on Local 3 News.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Television
Local 3 News aired the last show of anchor duo David Carroll and Cindy Sexton, who co-anchored the station's newscasts for more than three decades. The pair was described as the longest-running news anchor team in Tennessee.
Why it matters
The departure marks the end of a long on-air partnership that was a daily presence for viewers in the Tennessee Valley. Sexton is stepping away from the anchor desk to recover from scoliosis surgery, and Carroll retires in one month.
The duo's chapter at Local 3 spanned 34 years, and Sexton joined Carroll's 5:30pm newscast in 1992 after two years at the station. Carroll wrote about their 25-year partnership in 2017, and the source does not name a successor for the anchor desk.
The players
David Carroll
David Carroll is a longtime Tennessee television news anchor who began in radio before moving into TV news.
Cindy Sexton
Cindy Sexton is a longtime Tennessee television news anchor who co-anchored with David Carroll for decades.
Local 3 News
Local 3 News is the Tennessee television newscast where Carroll and Sexton anchored together for more than three decades.
The details
David Carroll and Cindy Sexton co-hosted the 5:00pm and 6:00pm newscasts together before the final broadcast aired on Local 3 News. Carroll began in radio before he was offered his first television news job, and he called Sexton when that offer came.
Timeline
1992: Cindy Sexton joins David Carroll on the 5:30pm newscast.
2017: David Carroll writes about the duo's 25-year partnership.
November 5, 2026: Local 3 News airs the duo's last show together.
One month after the final show: David Carroll retires.
Legacy Anchors
The retirement ends a partnership that the station describes as the longest-running news anchor team in Tennessee. Long anchor tenures of this kind are a fixture of local news, and this one ends with both anchors leaving the desk within a short window.
Viewers of Local 3 News will no longer see Carroll and Sexton co-anchoring the 5:00pm and 6:00pm newscasts. The station has not announced replacement anchors in the source material, so viewers should check the broadcast schedule for changes.
The takeaway
A long on-air partnership often leaves a visible gap in a local newsroom, and this departure is a reminder of how much continuity viewers come to rely on. Audiences who followed these anchors can watch for the station's announcements about its next anchor lineup.
What happens next
David Carroll retires one month after the final Local 3 News broadcast on November 5, 2026.
Further reading
Explore more on Television coverage across the Tennessee region.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Local3News.
