New Hampshire Public Radio has approached the city of Portsmouth for permission to put an antenna atop City Hall to help reach a wider audience in Portsmouth. The translator will rebroadcast the station's signal, which originates in Concord, where NHPR is based.

The public radio station has received FCC approval to broadcast in Portsmouth at 103.9 FM. Most Portsmouth listeners can hear the station at 89.1 FM, and there's already a translator in Dover at 104.3 FM, but the Portsmouth translator will help fill in the gaps and improve quality.

The translator will improve reception for up to 35,000 people, according to assistant general manager Scott McPherson.

The addition comes at the same time Portsmouth's nonprofit low-powered FM station, WSCA, is preparing to go on-air this fall. The two stations are likely to draw a similar audience from a similar geographic area, which they both also rely on for memberships and donations. WSCA hopes to go on-air this fall.

If the NHPR antenna is approved for City Hall, it will be surrounded by larger antennas already at the location, according to City Manager John Bohenko. The city council has referred the matter to the Planning Board and the Historic District Commission. for review.