According to this Wired article Hollywood is controlled by online message boards. Studio execs and agents pay a monthly fee to use the boards to discuss new projects and scripts and stuff.

I\’ve been tipped to the network of semisecret cyberhallways, called tracking boards, that are open only to the most elite power players in the industry. In simplest terms, these boards are sophisticated chat rooms and BBSes where high-level executives at various studios trade information about potential projects.

They may seem innocuous at first glance, but the boards are where a writer meets his fate. Before a script goes out, it either gets deep-sixed or hyped up. Often, it\’s said, execs will go online and leak privileged information or even lie about projects in order to drive prices up – or down. If the rumors are true, it means that the fix is in: major collusions between studios, arbitrary blackballing, a system that mocks any standard of fair play. It\’s not just scripts – books, directors, even actors are tracked.

[ From Slashdot ]