His Controversial Split From America's Test Kitchen

Why did Christopher Kimball leave America's Test Kitchen?

Transcript

00:00Christopher Kimball relinquished control over Cook's Illustrated, America's Test Kitchen,

00:04and a cooking show called Cook's Country after he said he was fired in 2015 by Boston Common Press.

00:09At the time, Boston Common Press dated that the split was amicable,

00:13but things certainly didn't appear that way. The company's board made a strategic decision

00:17to shift its management trajectory. To execute this plan, it appointed David Nussbaum as the

00:22new CEO. Nussbaum explained the split between Boston Common Press and the former face of the

00:27company, telling Boston.com,

00:29"...quite frankly, the owners realized Chris is about 65,

00:32and they had to think of a long-term succession plan."

00:35According to Nussbaum, the main reason behind the breakup was a contract disagreement.

00:39As reported by the Los Angeles Times, Nussbaum wrote in an email to employees,

00:43he was asked to stay with the company and focus his talents on creativity,

00:47on-air presence, and in-person appearances. He ultimately rejected that approach.