Ok... so a really good tuner might help (those Kloss Model 1's do rock - I listen to NPR every morning on a Model 3)... I've had pretty darn good success with hard to reach stations on my "regular" stereo using a thrift-store TV antenna. It picks up about everything... it's not a powered model, so one of those might be better. FM isn't all THAT hard to pick over here, but I like the college radio, and their transmitter must be like 13 watts or something ridiculous.
On another note... when I was much younger, I found a CB Radio and wired it up in my bedroom and ran a wire out my window to the gutters on the house. That was an effectively huge antenna - worked really well too.
good luck - lemme know how you fare!
