Fox’s scuff with Time Warner over renewal fees has gotten increasingly pitched over the course of the week. As we reported on Monday, Fox has appealed directly to viewers in the “Keep Fox On” campaign, which warns that the carrier could pull the plug on the network. Now, Time Warner is fighting back: they’re sending their subscribers a e-mail that looks like a ransom note and comparing Fox to hostage-takers.

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Cable providers and networks have a long tradition of arguing over renewal terms and other charges. It’s why you couldn’t watch the NFL Network Thursday night games on Time Warner Cable, and why Yankee fans can’t see their team play on YES on Cablevision.

But could FOX broadcast network, the fourth of the big four networks, actually be eliminated from Time Warner Cable this week? They think so.