Alexa Helms

The question isn’t why Alexa Helms is leaving after one year at WFLD-Channel 32. It’s why the Fox-owned station’s bosses hired her in the first place.

Fox 32 general manager Dennis Welsh and news director Tom Doerr will have that and a lot of other boneheaded blunders to answer for someday. (I mean that figuratively since neither one ever responds to questions or even acknowledges media inquiries.)

Despite a number of solid, dedicated professionals who strive to turn out excellent work, Fox 32 continues to be plagued by a demoralized and overworked staff, a revolving door of producers, chronic technical gaffes and clueless management. No wonder ratings for its newscasts are in the toilet.

Speaking of revolving doors, don’t be surprised if 9 p.m. news anchor Jeff Herndon, the Bob Sirott replacement who got called up from Wichita, Kansas, just two years ago, bails out by the end of summer. Jeff, we hardly knew ye.

In the case of Helms, it was clear from the moment she arrived last June that she was in over her head. Barely three months into her run as weekend news anchor, the onetime station intern was taken off the anchor desk and reassigned to full-time reporting duties.

As I wrote at the time: “It would be unconscionably cruel to recount the multitude of mistakes Helms made during her brief tenure as anchor. She clearly lacked the performance skills, journalistic experience or knowledge of current events to handle the job.” Sadly, she wasn’t much better as a reporter — a fact her bosses had no choice but to concede.

Helms’ last day will be Wednesday, after which she’s expected to return to Miami where she previously worked at Fox affiliate WSVN-TV. But considering her ordeal here, her TV news career may be behind her. Helms is telling friends she’ll probably leave the business altogether and look for a job in public relations or marketing.

Her agent at Los Angeles-based Ken Lindner Associates declined to comment.