Yup, they're right.

They own the copyright to the material and can say where and when it can be used. If you have a signed contract (the signed bit is very important, e-mails don't count) which allows you to use the material on your website, then you're covered, providing that they have the right to give you permission. Anything less and you leave yourself open to a civil action which could cost you a lot of money.

It sounds like they suddenly realised that they didn't have a legal right to allow you to use the BBC and Ch5 material, in which case I would remove the clips from your website pronto!

You see now why we're so anti "working for free" on this site, it's fraught with dangers and yes, the bottom line is, your 30 hours work were for nothing.

Oh, and beware of the hobby-lawyers who say that "it's alright to use material if..." I'm afraid that unless you have a written, signed release from the copyright owner, you leave yourself wide open to a court action.