Penske Media Corporation was forced to apologize this week after it was revealed that an awards columnist for The Hollywood Reporter demanded to see upcoming films ahead of his competitors, RadarOnline.com can report.

The shocking scandal first started when it was revealed that THR awards columnist Scott Feinberg sent out a series of emails to studios and PR reps in which he demanded priority access to upcoming films.

“As you plan the rollout of your film(s), I would like to respectfully ask that you not show films to any of my fellow awards pundits before you show them to me, even if that person represents himself or herself to you as (a) a potential reviewer of it, (b) needing to see the film in order to be part of decisions about covers, or (c) really anything else,” Feinberg wrote, according to an email obtained by Vanity Fair.

Even more shocking was the fact that Feinberg also wrote that, if his request was not granted, THR “may take that into consideration during the booking of roundtables, podcasts and other coverage.”

[To be fair, the original exposé at Vanity Fair put this in some context. Feinberg felt that other outlets where the awards reporter also made cover decisions had gotten priority over the Hollywood Reporter and was trying to push back — badly, as it turns out. Had he just limited the email to the complaint itself, it probably would not have been made public — but the threat to corruptly punish studios through his coverage was too explicit to let slide. — Ed]